


Holding On,The Other Routes

by PsychSoldier756



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Adulthood, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bedroom Sex, Blow Jobs, Children, Dirty Thoughts, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flashbacks, Heartbreak, Jealousy, Marriage, Married Couple, Married Sex, Please Read Chapter 1 Notes, Re-upload, Simulation, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Wet Dream, Wholesome Scenarios, Yandere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:40:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 250,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27795520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychSoldier756/pseuds/PsychSoldier756
Summary: First thing I want to be clear is that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187, who I will link below. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma. The story, writing and creative integrity of the story belong to Enigma. That being said, I stumbled across this fan fiction on Ao3 after I finished the base game. Reading the tags I thought “Awesome there are multiple relationship tags, it’s rated explicit, and it’s more the 10 chapter. This is going to be a nice harem fic where I can sit down and read while I ponder the game.” What I got was the complete opposite of that. What I read what a wonderfully written story with characters I genuinely grew to care about. With a heartfelt inner conflict and equally sad and hopeful ending. You can only imagine my surprise, when I found at the end that there were more chapters to behold. What little I read so far, the chapters I posted here, it seems to flesh out Monika, Yuri, Natsuki and Sayrio’s friendship more which is definitely appreciated. Which brings me to my next point. This story in terms of pacing and events transpiring, it EXTREMELY LONG with Monika being on of the worst offenders. It feels like when we go into her POV, that I can’t go five minutes without her complaining on how much she hates Val, and how betrayed she feels. Yet personally I feel she is the best character in the entire story. Her arc from loving Val to absolutely despising him to forgiving to loving him again, is honestly really touching. It’s gotten to the point to whenever I see Monika in the actual game I think about this story and how her game personality isn’t really her if she never gotten her “powers”. However to get this enjoyment from the story, it demands considerable amount of time and patience to get through. This at its core is a slice of life, slow burn, romance literature. Throughout the passages the author sprinkles in cute little character moments and events that make the sometimes molasses level of pacing worth it. This is why I essentially copied and pasted this whole story from FF.net. To spread this story as far as I can so others can experience the enjoyment as I did.If Enigma2187 is reading this know one thing, this is your story.Your beautifully written written work of art has gotten me, 129 people on Fanfiction.net and 74 people on AO3 to care about it. You got us to care about fictional characters, in fictional settings, with nothing but your words. Never forget that. And if you ever feel like me uploading here alienates your or the work you have don’t give me the word and I’ll delete my upload as soon as possible. This is your story after all.https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9772893/Enigma2187
Relationships: Monika/Protagonist (Doki Doki Literature Club!), Natsuki/Protagonist (Doki Doki Literature Club!), OC/Sayori (Doki Doki Literature Club!), Protagonist/Yuri (Doki Doki Literature Club!)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	1. Amethyst (Yuri)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Enigma2187](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enigma2187/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Holding On](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119) by [Enigma2187](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enigma2187/pseuds/Enigma2187). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First thing I want to be clear is that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187, who I will link below. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma. The story, writing and creative integrity of the story belong to Enigma. That being said, I stumbled across this fan fiction on Ao3 after I finished the base game. Reading the tags I thought “Awesome there are multiple relationship tags, it’s rated explicit, and it’s more the 10 chapter. This is going to be a nice harem fic where I can sit down and read while I ponder the game.” What I got was the complete opposite of that. What I read what a wonderfully written story with characters I genuinely grew to care about. With a heartfelt inner conflict and equally sad and hopeful ending. You can only imagine my surprise, when I found at the end that there were more chapters to behold. What little I read so far, the chapters I posted here, it seems to flesh out Monika, Yuri, Natsuki and Sayrio’s friendship more which is definitely appreciated. Which brings me to my next point. This story in terms of pacing and events transpiring, it EXTREMELY LONG with Monika being on of the worst offenders. It feels like when we go into her POV, that I can’t go five minutes without her complaining on how much she hates Val, and how betrayed she feels. Yet personally I feel she is the best character in the entire story. Her arc from loving Val to absolutely despising him to forgiving to loving him again, is honestly really touching. It’s gotten to the point to whenever I see Monika in the actual game I think about this story and how her game personality isn’t really her if she never gotten her “powers”. However to get this enjoyment from the story, it demands considerable amount of time and patience to get through. This at its core is a slice of life, slow burn, romance literature. Throughout the passages the author sprinkles in cute little character moments and events that make the sometimes molasses level of pacing worth it. This is why I essentially copied and pasted this whole story from FF.net. To spread this story as far as I can so others can experience the enjoyment as I did.  
> If Enigma2187 is reading this know one thing, this is your story.Your beautifully written written work of art has gotten me, 129 people on Fanfiction.net and 74 people on AO3 to care about it. You got us to care about fictional characters, in fictional settings, with nothing but your words. Never forget that. And if you ever feel like me uploading here alienates your or the work you have don’t give me the word and I’ll delete my upload as soon as possible. This is your story after all.
> 
> https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9772893/Enigma2187

**(Takes place right around the end of Remember Me PT2)**

* * *

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I felt refreshed.

_Ugh..._

_What time is it anyway?_

I stirred around in my bed for a while before I finally opened my eyes.

The sunlight that radiated from my balcony door lit up my room and gave me some motivation to wake up.

Some clothes fell off my bed as a result.

I couldn't help but eye how messy my bed got.

_Weird._

_I am pretty sure that I sleep without any messy clothes on top._

_And also..._

_Usually, my alarm would have put me in a sour mood this early in the morning._

_Speaking of which, why isn't it going off?  
_  
I turned to face in the direction of where my alarm usually was, only to see that the screen was dark and showed no signs of making noise any time soon.

_What the...?_

_Tch. It looks like the batteries must have died overnight._

_What a pain._

_Alright, I should have some batteries around here somewhere...  
_  
As I got out of my bed and I started searching my room for the metallic cylinders.

_Let's see here..._

_Where do I usually keep my batteries?_

I moved to my closet and found a plastic casing.

_There we go!_

As I moved towards the dead alarm clock, I noticed a small post-it note on my mirror, covered with messy writing.

_That's Mike's handwriting, alright._

It read the following:

 _"Hey, Bro-Bro! I'm not sure at what time you'll read this, but you wouldn't wake up even when I tried hitting you and putting some of your gym clothes over you. But I had to leave, or I'd be late. I left some toast for you on a plate downstairs. See you later!_ _-Mike"  
_

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself after reading the note.

_That explains the messy bed._

I wasn't always been a heavy sleeper, but I stayed up studying for a test in the afternoon. But because of that all-nighter, there was no chance of me waking up.

Once I was asleep, I was out for good.

 _What time is it anyway?  
_  
I grabbed my phone from my nightstand and checked the time.

My heart skipped a beat.

_What the fuck?_

The lock screen simply showed a 7:45 AM.

_No, no, that can't be right._

I unlocked my phone with my fingerprint and prayed that somehow the time would change.

_7:45._

_..._

In that instant, my heart finally pumped blood through my veins.

My heartbeat was audible for me to hear.

_Shit!_

_I am so going to be late!_

_Damn it! If only my alarm had a little bit more juice left and went off!_

_OK..._

_Stay calm, me!_

_I can do this!_

After telling myself to calm down by taking a couple of deep breathes, I braced myself.

_First thing's first!_

_Clothes!_

I bolted to my closet and got out my clothes onto the bed while cleaning up the gym clothes my brother strewn across.

From there, I went straight through to my bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth.

An unpleasant smell tickled my nose.

_Crap..._

To make sure, I smelled myself.

The unpleasant smell grew repulsive.

_Yep!_

_That's definitely me._

_Damn it, Mike! Did you really have to put those damn clothes on me?!_

I stripped my pajamas off me and took a quick shower to rid the horrendous stench.

After that, I sprinted back to my bedroom and threw my shirt on, snatched my phone, and got my bag.

I took a quick glimpse to check the time as I went downstairs.

The time displayed was 7:50 AM.

_Five minutes down._

_The class starts at around 8:30._

_OK, I can do this!_

Once I made it downstairs, I hastily put on my pants as I grabbed the toast at the same time.

_Toast's a bit cold, but that's fine._

_Next are my socks, shoes, and then lock the door._

Like so, I put my socks and shoes on and left the house.

I slammed the door shut, locking it, and started sprinting towards school.

_I'm so screwed if I don't hurry my self!_

Again, I pulled out my phone to check the time.

The time displayed was 7:55 AM.

_Argh! There are only 35 minutes til' homeroom starts!_

_I'm going to be late if I don't get to the main road on time!  
_

_But I can do this!_

With a deep breath and a small psyche up, I gave it my all to make to the main road in time.

* * *

It was after-school time, and instead of heading to the literature clubroom like usual, I was making my way towards the Janitor's closet.

The reason was being that since I arrived late, but only a minute or two late.

_What a pain in the ass..._

The homeroom teacher was in a foul mood at the time and gave me an earful about being late.

_Not even sure why she was so pissed off, I never come late to homeroom except just this once._

_Maybe it's that time of the month again, huh._

As I pondered why the teacher was pissy, the hallways started to thin out.

Many students were now going home or to their clubs.

_And now..._

_I have to do this._

I had been forced to be on cleaning duty as punishment.

As I walked past the doors and familiar hallways, I finally arrived at my destination, which was right next to the restrooms.

_I got a feeling that she also might have an awful morning too._

_Right after I got that earful of being a minute or two late, she sent me to the Headmaster's office._

_Talk about being overkill._

_Fortunately, the Headmaster likes me and was also perplexed as to why I was sent to his office._

_"Jones, you had perfect attendance until now, what happened?"_

_His steely green eyes held confusion but had the streak of confidence that tested many. It was clear that he wanted an answer._

_"Sorry, sir. I pulled an all-nighter studying for a test..."_

_His light green eyes mellowed with my answer._

_"Oh? Is that so? How late were you?"_

_Yeah... I was a little uncomfortable there._

_"I arrived to class a few minutes late, sir."_

_He arched an eyebrow at my answer from there._

_"...? A few minutes late?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_He blinked a couple of times before smiling wholeheartedly._

_"Hahaha! It seems like Ms. Segawa woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. You're forgiven. Goodness, only a few minutes late? A bit extreme to send you here, right?"_

_Heh, I couldn't stop myself from smiling too._

_"In all due respect, sir, I was thinking the same thing."_

_We shared a small round of laughter before the Headmaster cleared his throat._

_"Well, all's well that ends well. You're free to go, Jones. If she gives you any trouble, tell her to call me."_

_That didn't sit right with me._

_Wouldn't that piss off the homeroom teacher?_

_"No, no. I will take any punishment. Let me work off the charge, no matter how minor it is."_

After getting the equipment I needed, I started heading back to the classrooms I was assigned to clean.

_The Headmaster's face was something to remember._

_"Eh? Why do you want to work off the infraction? Jones, I understand. You're a hard worker!"_

_Yeah..._

_Getting complimented like that made my face burn up a tad little._

_"I insist, Headmaster. It would help me a little less guilty."_

_Yep, I lied._

_The look the Headmaster gave me after that said kind of pierced my defenses._

_But my goodness, when he sighed, I felt my soul being unbound._

_"Very well, the look in your eyes tells me you aren't going to back down, are you?"_

I heard a familiar voice let out an "Oomph!" and the next thing I knew, they were on the floor.

_It's Monika. What's she doing in this part of school?_

As I was rounding the corner at the end of the hall, however, my vision was suddenly filled with chestnut-brown hair, and I bumped into someone.

There she was, the sweetheart of Dokisai, as she was called for a few months now.

The girl was sprawled out on the floor, rubbing her forehead.

Her expression told me I was a nuisance; she didn't have the patience for right now.

_Great._

Ever since Monika came back, she was hostile to me.

And I had a good feeling it was because of what happened four years ago.

_I try to get to talk to me, but she is a pain._

_But that doesn't mean I am not going to stop._

_Might as well apologize to her._

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you, Monika! It was an accident, I promise!" I apologized profusely, but it didn't seem to change the fact that she was still annoyed.

_It looks like being sincere didn't work._

"Watch where you're going! Are you blind? Or just stupid?"

_And here the insults._

She started to get up, and I offered her my hand.

But I wasn't surprised when she merely swatted it away.

"Hey, look. I'm sorry, OK? It's just that I was in a hurry." I explained.

Once she brushed off her clothes of any dust, she looked up to me.

"Why are you in a hurry? The club meeting doesn't start for another 20 minutes."

She looked genuinely curious.

"I have a cleaning duty since I got to school late today." I simply said.

Her look of curiosity was now replaced by one of confusion.

"Oh. Wait a minute, why didn't the Headmaster just give you detention? Isn't that the usual punishment?"

_And here are one of the rarer occurrences where she talks to me as if I am a normal human being._

"I simply told the Dean that I had important club activities to tend to. Fortunately, we're cool, so he told me just to clean some classrooms, and that's it." I half-truthfully said.

Her confusion disappeared and was replaced by the usual hostile eyes she had.

"Why not just go home afterward?"

I couldn't help but feel a bit hurt at the question she was asking.

_This is the first I have heard of this..._

_Did she not want me to be in her club?_

"Monika... do you not want me in your club?" I asked, now frowning. "I know that you're mad at me right now, so I would understand if you didn't want me there."

_Tch..._

_Sometimes she tests my patience._

"W-What?"

She looked taken aback from my statement, but her serious demeanor returned immediately.

"I didn't say that. I was just asking what was stopping you from simply going home after you finished. Idiot." She stated flatly.

I couldn't help but rub my head sheepishly.

"Ehehe, my bad. I interpreted your question the wrong way, didn't I?" I asked, offering just a small nervous laugh for my misunderstanding. "To answer it, though, I wouldn't miss your club for the world."

The green-eyed vixen rolled her eyes.

"Is that so?" She asked, unimpressed by my answer.

I nodded as enthusiastically as possible.

"Yup. I enjoy every second of it, and thanks to you, not only have I made friendships that will last a lifetime, but it's helped me improve on my reading and writing skills!"

_I wasn't lying. Thanks to the Literature Club, my analytical skills on passages, along with my vocabulary, and knowledge on identifying figurative language._

"I-I see." Monika had begun to blush at this point.

"Well, whatever. Goodbye."

And with that, she rounded the corner and started heading in the direction that I had just come from.

Presumably to the restroom.

"I should hurry up..." I said to no one in particular, as I started to make my way towards the classrooms.

* * *

_Ugh..._

_Stupid Val._

_Is he just messing with me at this point?_

_Why would he say things like that and then just drop me out of his life as easy as changing clothes?_

_Is this... his true self?_

_Does he plan to keep toying with me out of pure amusement?  
_

The thought of this made my blood boil.

I could feel my face start to burn up, but unlike earlier, it wasn't from what Val had said in the hallway.

It was pure anger.

Red hot fury that made me want to scream.

I looked down at myself and noticed that my hands had clenched into fists at some point.

My knuckles were starting to turn white.

"Well, I won't let him," I said out loud.

That came out as more of a growl, though.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I was shocked at what I saw. It was me, but I had an uncharacteristically twisted scowl.

_Was I that angry?_

"A-Are you, OK?" I heard a timid voice call out from beside me.

 _Yuri?  
_  
I whipped to my right, eyes wide with surprise.

_Where had this girl come from?_

_And..._

_She saw how angry I got!_

_Damn it, me!_

"Oh! Hello! I'm sorry, I had no idea you were here! Do you need me to move?" I asked apologetically.

"Y-Yes, please. I need to wash my hands..." The red-haired girl answered meekly.

I then proceeded to move out of the way so she could use the sink.

_Why does she look so familiar?_

_Ah!_

_Amy from elementary school!_

Once she was finished, she turned to the exit and was about to leave.

To my surprise, however, she stopped and turned towards me, avoiding my eyes.

"Y-You're Monika, right? I noticed that you were pretty angry about something earlier. I know how hard school can be, especially for someone like you, who are idolized by her peers and has the pressure put on you as the 'Sweetheart of Dokisai.' I-If you wouldn't mind that it's me, I'll gladly listen to your problems..." The girl offered.

The redhead had started to fiddle with her fingers.

_She reminds me of Yuri a lot..._

"Wait, you wouldn't happen to be Amy, right?"

The girl brightened once I called her by her name.

"I am. I am surprised you remember me, Monika."

I smiled at her.

"Of course, I remember you. You were one of my classmates! But... I don't want to bother you with the problems of someone you barely even know," I answered nervously.

Amy gave an unsure frown.

"A-Are you sure? I don't mind. You're not much of a stranger to me. Plus, I'm a pretty good listener..." Amy

Suddenly her eyes widened at what she had said.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to come off as pretentious! I was just trying to help..."

This girl was Yuri, and I found it amusing.

Before I realized, I let out a laugh.

"It's OK, and I know what you meant. And I need to talk to someone who knew Jones and I. Now, where do you suggest we should go to talk?"

* * *

_Man, my arms are getting tired._

_How long have I been cleaning for?_

_I just had to go the extra mile, huh?_

_Why do I always do this to myself?_

I was more than sure I had been cleaning for at least 20 minutes.

At first, I had expected it to take no more than 10 minutes tops, but this room was so unbelievably dirty that it had taken 20 minutes of non-stop of sweeping, mopping, dusting, and scrubbing to get it to look decent finally.

 _It's no wonder the Headmaster asked me not to clean this room...  
_  
As I finished up cleaning the terminal window, I heard the door open behind me.

"Ah! Valkyrie! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

_Huh?_

I turned to see who the voice belonged to, and to my surprise, it was none other than Yuri.

_A friendly face, something I need right about now._

"Hey, Yuri. What's up? Why were you loo-" I was interrupted by the sight of Yuri blushing fiercely and looking away.

_Hm?_

_The girl's all flustered._

"Um... Yuri? What's wrong? Are you feeling, OK?" I asked, now worried.

The girl closed her eyes, and cutely kept her face away from my level.

"( U-um... Valkyrie?)" The girl answered in Russian.

_Russian now?_

_Alright, time to adjust._

"(Yes? What's wrong?)" I replied in Russian.

The purple-haired girl started to play with her long hair nervously.

"(D-Do you think you can put your shirt back on?)" She quietly asked.

_Huh?_

_What does she mean?_

I looked down, and sure enough, I had nothing but an undershirt soaked in sweat.

_Ooooh..._

It unfortunately, left very little to the imagination.

I could now feel my face burning up as I grew increasingly self-conscious.

_Damn it!_

_I just exposed myself to a girl!_

I grabbed my shirt as fast as I could and whipped it on.

"(Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Yuri! It's just that I got a little uncomfortable and took off my pants-I mean blazer and shirt to be able to kee-I mean bear with the heat!)"

I was barely able to finish that sentence without further stumbling over my own words due to embarrassment.

_How in the world did I not notice that I was rather half-naked?!_

I avoided looking at Yuri in the eye.

"(It's OK...not that I didn't like- err, um... I mean! It wasn't your fault! I just came in as if I owned the place and caught you by surprise...)" She apologized, now looking my way.

The way the girl meekly apologized tugged at my heart.

_Now that's adorable._

"(Hahaha! It's alright. Now, what was this about looking all over for me?)" I asked, now feeling a little comfortable.

Yuri instantly brightened once I turned the conversation around.

"(Oh, yes! You didn't show up to the Literature Club, so I came looking for you while Natsuki looked for Monika!)"

I raised an eyebrow.

 _Wait, Monika's missing too?  
_  
"(Wait, wait, wait... Monika isn't at the club?)" I slowly asked.

She shook her head.

"(Unfortunately so. We're all worried. We can't do anything without our club president)" She added, feeling a little unrested from the circumstances.

"(Heh, I know Just didn't expect Monika to come late. She is punctual when it comes to these things.)" I answered.

The purple-haired girl was a bit jarred by my words.

"(Is that so? So something must have happened...)"

_Yeah, I saw at her going to the bathroom, but after that..._

_I got no clue what happened to her._

"(We can look for her, now that you found me.)" I looked towards the equipment I put out. "(Alright! Just let me drop off the cleaning supplies at the closet, and we can start heading to the club, alright?)"

Yuri nodded and gave me a small smile.

"(Of course, take your time)" She replied.

I proceeded to pick up the mop and broom, as well as the duster.

Yuri sat down in an empty desk and watched me as I worked.

Her soft purple eyes watched my every move.

_..._

_Wow._

_Never thought I would get nervous working when Yuri's here._

After a couple of minutes of working, I was about to turn when I heard Yuri clear her throat.

"(Do you need help?)"

I chuckled nervously.

"(Actually...yeah, I could use a little help with these)" I answered, accompanied by a pathetic laugh.

The girl smiled and walked over to me.

"(Here, let me get them for you then.)"

From there, she started on one side of the room while I did the other hand.

The work that I had to do was done. Now it was just us in the same corner.

When she was about 3 feet away from me, though, her foot snagged on something that was lying on the floor.

_What the...?_

I looked down, only to see that it was my backpack she had tripped on.

She stumbled forward, and time slowed down.

_Shit! She's going to fall!_

I stepped forward quickly to help cushion the fall.

When I opened my eyes, I was met with the sight of Yuri on top of me, our faces mere centimeters apart.

_Ack!_

_Too close!_

I could feel her warm breath when she exhaled.

For a moment, all I could see were Yuri's wide eyes.

Pools of amethyst that one could easily drown in if not careful.

A few strands of her hair had fallen onto my face.

_Yuri is so soft..._

_Are all girls soft?_

_Monika and I hugged before but, she wasn't this soft._

_But then again, that was four years ago..._

_And she smells so nice._

_Is... that lavender?_

I suddenly became aware that my hand was touching something soft and squishy.

I moved my fingers, eliciting a surprised squeal from Yuri.

She bolted upright and tensed up.

_Oh crap._

Realizing what it was that I was holding, my face quickly started to burn up.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Yuri! It was by accident! I swear! I was just trying to move my hand!" I apologized.

_Again me?!_

_First, when I met her, and now this?!_

She simply looked away, her face rivaling the color scarlet.

"I-It's fine. It was an accident, after all."

Her response was barely audible.

I let an inner sigh as she forgave me.

From there, I tried to get up, but I was sort of stuck.

"Yuri?"

"Y-Yes, Valkyrie?"

I looked away nervously.

"Do you think you could get off?"

She was at first perplexed before realizing what was happening.

"Ahh! You're right; I'm so sorry!"

Yuri scrambled to get off me as fast as she could. I started to get up, as well.

"I-I'm sorry, Valkyrie, it was an accident. I should have paid attention to where I was stepping, and I ended up tripping..."

I couldn't help but feel guilty.

Her expression seemed so humiliated, and she looked like she was expecting me to scold her.

_Compared to how bright she was a few minutes ago, she can do a 180..._

_And it kind of hurts how sad she can be._

"Hey, hey, it's OK. It's fine. It was an accident, so I know that you had no control over it. It happens to all of us. Besides, it was my fault. I had left my backpack on the floor, and you tripped because of that. Don't beat yourself up, OK?" I said in my best uplifting tone.

The girl gave a small simper.

I gave her some light pats on the head to console her, and she smiled.

"Now, we should probably get going, don't you think?" I asked.

For a second, disappointment crossed her face, but it was gone just as fast as it had appeared.

"You're right. We've wasted enough time. Let me help you with the supplies."

We picked up the cleaning supplies and exited the room.

I closed the door behind us.

We left the cleaning supplies in the Janitor's closet and started making our way towards the club.

_Hmm..._

_Never would have expected Yuri to look for me while I was working._

_Usually, it would be Tom, Sayori, or even Monika coming after me if I miss a club meeting._

_And I should admit something about this world feels..._

_Off, to say the least._

_It has been a few months ever since Monika came back, and to me, it feels like yesterday, literally._

_Why does it feel like that I don't belong here?_

_I feel very peculiar, but everyone and everything around me seems to be going just fine._

_What the hell...?_

"Um..." I heard Yuri mumble.

I turned to her with a curious look.

"Hm? Something wrong, Yuri?"

As usual, whenever she is nervous, the girl started to stroke her hair.

"Sorry! I thought you weren't feeling well. You were walking very strangely, and your eyes looked unfocused."

_Jeez, was I zoning out that much?_

_I have to keep my head in the game._

_No matter how... different this world feels._

"Ah, I was thinking about how things are right now. It's nothing to worry about."

Now it was Yuri's turn to look at me inquisitively.

"How are things right now?"

_I might as well elaborate, otherwise this whole walk is going to a bit awkward._

_Especially since what happened earlier._

"Yeah... I get the notion that I don't belong here. Not in a self-deprecating manner, of course, but like this isn't my world that I know. Something like that..."

The purple-haired girl now put her finger on her chin and started to think.

"That's quite philosophical... is there any particular reason as to why you feel... estranged?" She curiously asked.

I rubbed my head sheepishly.

"Well... I think it's just me, but I feel as if time zipped by. No, no, time skipped for me. I remember Monika coming back yesterday, but it has been a few months since you guys came here. I can't shake off the feeling that time wasn't fair to me."

Yuri looked at me, understandingly and smiled.

"I thought I was the only one." She replied.

_Wait; what?_

_So this strange feeling isn't just me?_

"I texted Monika about what we were doing for the winter committee, but she was... confused, to say the least."

_Huh?_

"Wait, I thought I joined the winter committee with Monika. What happened?"

When we made it to the hallway outside the club room, though, we were greeted with Monika walking hurriedly down the corridor.

_Great..._

_It looks like we are going to have to pick the conversation up later._

_But I have a strange feeling that Yuri and I are going to forget that this conversation ever happened completely..._

_Weird._

As we got closer, Monika saw us, and we made eye contact.

Her eyes changed from about three different emotions.

_Surprise. Confusion. Defiance._

_Yup, that's the classic look._

This all happened in a matter of seconds, and she waved at Yuri, who hadn't noticed the emotional roller coaster Monika had just gone through.

I shouldn't have been surprised, though.

Monika was always really good at masking her emotions.

The only reason I was able to notice most of the time was because I had known her for most of my life.

Even then, I couldn't always guess how she was feeling.

While I was lost in thought, I hadn't realized that Monika had been talking to Yuri.

"Ah! What were you guys doing that took you so long?" She asked.

* * *

_Great, I'm going to be late for my club._

_What a great club president...  
_  
I had lost track of time while talking to Amy.

At first, I was a bit hesitant, but before I knew it, I was telling her everything.

How Val and I met, how close we were, how I felt.

The only reason I was able to realize how long I had taken was that I used my phone to exchange numbers from her.

She had given me her number saying, "If you ever need someone to talk to, just like today, don't hesitate to call or text me, OK?" and with that, we parted ways.

 _I should hurry up and get to the club. I don't want to keep everyone waiting any longer.  
_  
I made my way down the hallways.

The way they looked after school always intrigued me.

It was as if it was a completely different place from earlier in the day.

Instead of students making a commotion and struggling to get to class on time, it was quiet.

Other than the occasional students who drank water or used the restroom, it was empty.

Something about how empty the school felt always unnerved me.

It was as if the emptiness was somehow calling out at me.

It felt... familiar. Whatever that feeling was, it was one I didn't like.

I picked up my pace a little more.

As I rounded the corner, I made it to the corridor that had the club room.

I continued to walk, and I started slowing down.

_OK..._

_Let's take a small breather._

I had to look calm and composed before going in.

I didn't want to be late and look shaken.

All of a sudden, I heard footsteps coming towards me, and I turned to see who they belonged to.

It was none other than Yuri and Val.

I couldn't help but be surprised, as I had thought that they were waiting for me in the classroom along with everyone else.

However, my confusion slowly changed into another feeling I couldn't quite put my finger on.

As I was looking at them, I accidentally made eye contact with Val.

Whatever it was that I was feeling turned into anger.

I couldn't let my guard down with him.

_Why are they together?_

_Wait, what to do I care?_

_I won't let him toy around with me anymore._

_However, that doesn't stop my curiosity from growing...  
_  
 _Ugh, fine. I'll just ask them as casually as possible.  
_  
"Hey, Yuri!" I waved, giving her a bright smile.

She responded to my greeting with one of her signature, timid smiles.

"Hello Monika, I take it Natsuki found you?"

 _What?  
_  
I must have looked as confused as I felt because Yuri then said, "Oh, she didn't find you? I'm sorry, I assumed she did since we sent her to look for you."

"Oh, it's fine, I'm sorry I took so long though! I lost track of time talking to a friend." I apologized.

"Don't be! We're just getting here too." Yuri stated casually.

I couldn't help but think about what she had just said, however.

 _If they just got here, what were they doing this whole time?  
_  
"Oh? What were you guys doing that took you so long?" I asked casually to avoid suspicion.

Yuri and Val exchanged nervous looks, then blushed heavily and looked away.

_Wait._

_Did... something happen between them?  
_

For some reason, my heart was doing jumping jacks, but I kept my cool.

"Well?" I calmly pressed.

Yuri started to be a little flustered.

"W-Well... we w-" The girl started, but she was interrupted.

"She was out looking for me, and she found me cleaning the classroom like I said I would. We took a bit longer because we had to put the cleaning supplies, and she helped me." Val said, looking slightly flustered but keeping his cool as well.

_Oh, Val, when are you going to figure out that you can't hide things from me?_

_It also doesn't help that you got so out of it when I asked, you moron._  
  
"Really? Because it doesn't seem like it would take that long just to put some cleaning supplies away." I pressed, coating my statement with an innocent tone.

_Hook and sinker._

_Nice one, Monika!_

_Now, they're cornered!_

"Kh...! Outstanding move." I heard Val murmur, although I'm not sure if it was directed towards me.

"W-Well..." Yuri stammered before she was interrupted again.

This time though, it wasn't by Val.

It was by someone who was coming out of the classroom.

We all turned to see a livid pinkette, waving her arms in anger.

"What are you guys doing out here?! We've been waiting for the longest time, and it turns out you guys were here chatting without a care in the world?!" She yelled.

_Argh! Fuck!_

_So close!_

_Why now of all times, Natsuki?!_

"Sorry, Natsuki, you're right. My bad. It's my fault that we took so long. I really didn't mean anything by it. So please, I hope you can forgive us." I heard Val say.

He sounded genuinely sorry, but I knew better.

_I think..._

The apology had thrown off Natsuki because a flustered one now replaced her angry expression.

"Geez. It's fine, I guess… just don't let it happen again, baka..." She mumbled.

And with that, we all headed inside.

_I guess I'll just have to squeeze it out of Val later._

_And I know just how._

I could feel a smile growing on my face.

"OK, everyone!"


	2. Afternoon (Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

"Okay, Everyone!" I said, loud enough for everyone to stop what they were doing and pay attention.

_Great, now we can start with this club meeting._

"Does everyone have a poem ready to share today?" I asked.

Everyone nodded or answered with a simple "Yep."

"Hey, Monika?" Asked a familiar voice that made my eye twitch.

_Argh...!_

"Yes, Val?" I responded, trying my best to hide my displeasure from having to talk to him.

_Remember what Amy told you._

_Don't let him get to you so quickly._

"Well... I was wondering if maybe we could share our poems tomorrow?" He asked while scratching his cheek.

 _Wow, that's s_ _surprising._

_He didn't do it, did he?_

"And why's that? Did you not do it? I thought you were punctual about your deadlines." I asked, already expecting a half-assed apology about why he didn't do it.

For a second, I could've sworn Val get annoyed with my attitude, but he kept his cool.

_Wait..._

_Is he getting ticked off?_

"Well, it's because we just have five minutes left. Most of us were gone for pretty much the whole time." Val stated.

Everyone else seemed to agree.

_No, that doesn't seem right._

_I know that Val will be able to keep his cool no matter what._

_..._

_Right?_

"Yeah! And tomorrow we can share both today and tomorrow's poems!" Sayori excitedly exclaimed.

Yuri smiled at the bouncy sunshine.

"That does seem like the best course of action," She added, agreeing with her.

I tried to hide my surprise.

_Argh..._

_Sometimes my hate really gets in the way of things._

_I completely forgot that Val, Natsuki, and Yuri weren't the only ones that had been gone._

My face flared up as my body was eaten away by the guilt of my thoughts and actions.

"A-Ah, right! Of course... That makes sense. Sorry about that everyone! In any case, see you all tomorrow then! Dismissed!"

And with that, our rather short club meeting came to an end.

We all packed up our things and started heading out of the classroom.

As I was heading out, I picked up on a few hushed words coming from the classroom.

"Um... Would you like to walk home, Valkyrie?"

That perked my ears up so I can listen in to their conversation.

I saw the girl holding her hand next to her chest.

That meant she was trying to calm her beating heart from imploding.

_Yuri's nervous..._

_Asking Val to walk home together?_

_Since when could she muster up the courage to do such a thing?_

I quickly hid behind the wall, close enough to be able to listen, but far enough to make a quick getaway when needed.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Is there a specific reason as to why though?" The dork replied with his signature dorky smile.

"N-Not really, I just thought it'd be nice…" The girl stammered. "Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to!" She added quickly.

The guy laughed wholeheartedly from her cute antics.

"Ahahaha! No, no, it's cool, Yuri! I wouldn't mind walking with you, let me just get my stuff, OK?" I heard Val say. "But let me send a message to my brother that I am gonna be late."

For some reason, I gritted my teeth and glared at two.

_Krgh!_

_Since when are Yuri and Val close enough for her to ask him to walk together?_

_Something definitely happened while they were gone._

_I guess any doubts I had were just thrown out the window._

_Hmph._

_I'll just milk it out of Val when he gets home._

I started to make my way home before I got caught.

_We'll see what you're hiding Val._

_I'll get it out one way or another._

_Just you wait!_

* * *

_Let's see my message..._

_"..."_

_"Hey, Mike. I am gonna be a little late. There's some food in the fridge, so heat that when you get the chance. The key is the usual place, under the doormat. I'll be home as soon as possible. But you know me, I am a bit bad with directions. See you then."_

With that, I sent the message to Mike.

_OK, time to finish this up._

As I was finishing packing up my stuff, from the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Yuri looking at me quite impatiently.

"Sorry, I'm taking too long aren't I?" I asked with a smile.

That woke the girl up from her apparent scowl.

"W-Wha-? No no! It's okay! Take your time, I'm already asking too much by wanting to walk with you…" She answered, looking away and playing with her hair.

_Seriously, the way she does those little acts on herself..._

_It's so cute._

_Whoa, that kinda sounds weird._

"There we go, shall we start heading out?" I asked, putting the last of my belongings in my bag.

Yuri smiled back and walked up to me.

_Uh..._

_A little too close for comfort, but whatever._

"Ah... y-yes. Depart we will."

And with that, we exited the classroom.

I made sure to close the door behind me and we started heading to the exit.

Right as we left the school though, I realized something.

I had no idea where Yuri lived.

_Fortunately, she'll show me the way._

As we stood outside the school entrance, I waited for Yuri to take the first step.

But instead, she looked at me dumbfounded.

_..._

_Why is she looking at me like that?_

_Does she expect me to know where she lives or..._

_Hey, might as well ask, right?_

"Hey, Yuri? I called.

She was in a more confident posture, so she didn't shy away from me.

"Yes, what is it Valkyrie?"

_Hmm, how strange._

_But hey, if she is confident that's good._

"I don't want to state the obvious, but you're gonna have to show me where you live. How am I supposed to walk you home?" I asked, with a smirk.

There was a long pause.

"A-Ah, you're right…"

Another pause and her confidence broke, causing her to be flustered once more.

_Yep, there it is._

_Well, it was great while it lasted._

_I hope she can find the will to hold that confidence._

"Please forgive me Valkyrie!" She exclaimed, failing to hide her embarrassment.

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

She was taken aback when she heard it, and her expression changed from embarrassment to one of confusion.

"E-Eh?"

I turned to her.

"(Sorry Yuri, I just found it funny that you would find such a thing worthy of an apology. Seriously, you really do like apologizing a lot, don't you? It's fine, really. Plus, haven't I told you to call me 'Val' already?)" I asked with a warm smile, hoping to get her a bit more relaxed.

It worked, as she adopted a small smile as well.

"(A-Ah…I see. I will try my best to stop my needless apologies.)" She said, letting out a small giggle that made my heart skip a beat.

 _Weird_.

_Her giggle is really..._

_Cute to say the least._

"(Mm. That's for the best. Apologizing over and over again just wanes the purpose of an apology. Try saying thank you, instead of saying sorry so often.)" I advised while putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

She shivered when I put my hand on her, but smile even brighter.

"(O-OK! T-Thank you for giving me advice!)" Yuri thanked.

For some reason, her gratitude made me feel rather embarrassed.

_Hey, what's wrong me all of a sudden...?_

_She's only giving me her gratitude._

_Nothing to feel off about._

_Right...?_

_Come on, Val!_

_Shake it off and get moving!_

Despite that, I gave her a curt nod, showing that I approve.

"(Shall I lead the way then?)" She asked, but it was more of a rhetorical sense.

As we made our way towards her house, I noticed that she took the opposite way that I took to get home.

"(Huh, it seems that we live on opposite sides of the school, Yuri.)" I said.

"(R-Really? Then are you sure it's okay to walk me home? I didn't realize that we might have lived in different directions. I don't want to make you late to whatever you may have to do at home…)" She responded, looking crestfallen. "(And I am sorr-)"

I was surprised. Did she seriously think I would just leave her behind like that?

"(Come on, Yuri. Show some gratitude! And also, that's not what I meant. It's nothing to worry about. My younger brother isn't idiot, he can open the door and heat up some food. I was just making an observation, that's it. And... I got a feeling that it's going to be nice walking with you, plus I don't want to leave you alone, it's getting pretty dark already.)" I replied, wanting to clear the misunderstanding as soon as possible.

"(T-Thank you. I really appreciate you doing this for me Val…)" She responded with unbridled gratitude.

Her disappointment had been replaced by a shy smile.

If I hadn't been right next to her, I wouldn't have heard her.

We continued walking until we reached a particularly dark street.

_This..._

_This is a rather ominous part of town._

_Why do I feel like we are being watched?_

I felt a warm sensation coat my arm, and I instinctively looked to see what it was.

_What the...?_

I was met with a sight that made my face burn.

_Oh..._

_Oh no._

"Uh... Yuri?" I asked, thanking the heavens that my voice didn't crack.

Yuri slowly turned her head to me.

"Y-Yes, Val?" She asked, while her face heated up a storm.

_Stay calm._

_Even though her chest is massive..._

_Soft._

_And smells pretty good too._

_Argh!_

_Deep breathes!_

_But away from the lass!_

I recomposed myself and looked back to the nervous girl.

"Why are you hugging my arm?" I asked, surprised by how confident I sounded.

She looked, and sure enough, she was hugging my arm.

Yuri jumped and let out an "Eep!", effectively letting go of me.

"Oh! I didn't notice! I just don't like this street... I must have done it subconsciously!" She said while apologizing profusely.

_Hmm, is that so._

_I don't like it either._

I realized it made sense that she didn't like this street.

It was dark, and it seemed to be a place in which one could be easily mugged.

Not to mention the shady-looking people standing around.

_If she had to walk this route every day…_

_Yuri's pretty attractive too so..._

_Wait, where did that come from?!_

"It's okay Yuri. I understand. If you want you can hug my arm. I will protect you." I offered, extending my arm towards her.

She embraced it once again and I could feel her chest wrapping it around.

I just hoped the night was dark enough to hide my blushing face.

_It's so... soft. I wonder if sh-_

_Wait what am I doing?_

_Get your head out of the gutter Val! She scared shitless and this is what you do?_

I took another deep breath to recompose myself again.

"Hey, Yuri?" I called.

Without missing a beat, the girl turned to me quickly.

"Y-Yes?"

_She is really jumpy._

_I have to move quickly._

"Do you walk this route every day?" I asked, with a reassuring but calm face.

The girl frowned from my question.

_Oh no..._

"Almost every day, yes. Why?"

_It's a miracle that she hasn't been jumped yet or anything._

_Thank goodness._

"How about I walk with you every day then?" I asked.

I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her one of these days.

There was something telling me that I had to keep her safe.

Not because of my altruistic tendencies to help, but because of a strange sense of nostalgia.

She seemed to process my question.

"A-Are you sure? I don't want you to waste your time walking me home every day, Val." She started playing with her hair, the way she did whenever she got flustered.

I smiled, hoping that she would come to terms with me.

"It's no problem! Plus, it's a bonus if I get to spend more time with you." I assured.

This time, she frowned to keep the embarrassment from leaking out.

"A-Ah. You're too kind…" She responded, hiding her face behind my arm. "Thank you... Thank you, Val."

We walked like this for a few minutes until she came to a halt.

I looked around to see that we had arrived in a wealthy-looking neighborhood.

Mansions and equally as big houses lined the streets.

There were even a few fountains and gardens in some of the properties.

I couldn't help but marvel at the surrounding area.

But also, I couldn't shrug off a weird sense of deja vu.

It's as if the time of day was messing with my senses.

Right now, we are on the cusp of spring, so the days are slowly getting longer.

_Maybe it's because of that it's messing with me._

"Whoa…" I finally managed to mutter.

"It appears that we have arrived," Yuri said, who seemed a bit disappointed about it.

I looked in front of us and I was greeted with a large two-story house.

It was easily the most grandeur building in the neighborhood.

All the other ones paled in comparison.

I could see fountains on either side of the huge garden.

Roses, Lavender, and other beautiful plants I didn't recognize surrounded a path leading to the front door.

"T-This is your house Yuri?" I asked, my voice projecting my awe.

"Y-Yes, it is. D-Do...you not like it?" She asked timidly.

I scoffed at her playfully.

"Are you serious? How could I not like this place? It's gorgeous!" I exclaimed.

The girl brushed her hair down.

"T-Thank you, Val. I'm glad you think that." She answered.

We started to make our way to the front gate.

Once there, she let go of my arm and started looking through her bag.

She proceeded to take out some keys and unlock the front gate.

Yuri then turned around.

"I-I want to thank you for walking me home safely, Val. I'm sorry if I was too much of a burden." She told me.

"Yuri, what did I tell you about apologizing? I came out of my own volition and because you wanted me to go. There's nothing wrong with that. I could have said no and moved on, but I didn't. As I said before, it's totally okay! I'm going to start walking home with you from now on, if that's okay with you, of course. It was really cool walking with you." I responded.

Yuri still looked unsure at me.

"A-Are you sure? I don't want yo-"

_Come on, Yuri!_

_Be a little more confident!_

Before she could manage more, I interrupted her.

"Yuri! I said it's okay! Really! I'll say it again, I'm doing this out of my own free will. See you tomorrow okay? And don't leave without me!" I said to her.

Before I could turn around though, I was met with a warm sensation around my whole body.

I realized that Yuri was hugging me.

She was so warm and comforting, I didn't want to let go.

I hugged her back.

"What brings about this pleasant surprise?" I asked, letting out a chuckle.

"I just wanted to say thanks again," She said, letting out a small giggle herself.

We finally let go, much to my dismay.

"A-Anyway. I'll see you tomorrow, OK Val? Please be careful going home, alright?" She asked with a small smile.

And I smiled back at her.

"Of course, I'll see you at school in one piece. See ya!" I waved at her, turning and starting my way back home.

I checked my phone for the time.

It was already near 5 PM.

_Damn! I have to get home fast, or else Mike would start to worry._

I broke into a jog and made my way home.

* * *

_Where the heck are you Val?_

I checked my phone and it was 4:15 PM and the sun was setting now.

_We had gotten out of school at 4, so why wasn't he at his house, already?_

_It doesn't take that long to get home..._

_Even if he is coming back from Yuri's..._

We'd been waiting for a quarter-hour for him already.

At my side, sat Mike.

He had called me asking if Val was at my house.

I was obviously taken aback by this question.

_Why would he be at my house?_

Mike then told me Val hadn't arrived home at all, which I found weird.

But he only sent a message telling him that the key was under the doormat and was coming a bit late.

Suffice to say, he was worried and asked if I could wait with him.

Since Val hadn't arrived, Mike hadn't been able to eat so I had to make him something and we had been waiting since.

_There was some food in the fridge, but since I'm here, I can give him something better._

"Did he say he was going anywhere?" I asked him.

"Well... no. I didn't even talk to him today. He was conked out in the morning. I couldn't even wake him up when I tried hitting him. " Mike answered.

_When you get home, I'm giving you a piece of my mind, you moron._

More time passed, and before I knew it, it was already 4:30 PM. I started to worry too.

_Wait, since when do I care if he's okay or not?_

"Hey, how about we do something, big guy?" I asked Mike.

It wouldn't help to just stand around waiting.

We had to get our minds off of things.

"Like what? There's nothing to do." He mumbled.

I looked around the living room.

There was a shelf with board games on the top.

I laid my eyes on a blue box with yellow and red chips.

_Bingo._

"How about we play Connect Four?" I asked.

_Hmm..._

_I remember playing that with Val back then._

_But we would add in our own rules and twists to make the game fun._

"Sure." He answered, without paying mind.

I grabbed the box and emptied it out on the floor.

We started playing, but our hearts weren't really into the game.

Mike and I were both too worried about Val.

We played a few games, and I let Mike win some.

As we were reaching the 5 game mark though, we heard a door open behind us.

We immediately turned our heads in the direction of the sound. Val walked in, looking sweaty and out of breath.

Mike was the first one to run up to him.

"Bro-Bro!" He exclaimed, tackling him in a bear hug despite the sweat.

Val was caught off guard and they both flew to the ground.

"Hey, big guy! Why are you still dressed? Shouldn't you be studying at this time?" Val asked. "You ate something in the fridge? Or were you waiting for me?"

_Oh, so he's just going to ignore me now?_

_That's totally fine with me._

"I couldn't eat anything! I was too worried so instead, I hung out with Auntie Monika here!" The younger brother exclaimed.

The older brother sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

Suddenly, Val looked in my direction.

The surprise was strewn all across his face.

"Oh hey, Mon! I didn't notice you!"

_Are you fu-_

"Thank you for taking care of-" He started before I interrupted him, jumping to my feet.

I was going to give him a scolding he wouldn't forget.

"Just what do you think you're doing, getting here at this time, huh Val?!" I yelled. "Do you have any idea how worried your brother has been? He hadn't even eaten and I had to make him something rather than give him the crap in the fridge! What could have possibly happened for you to get here at this time, you moron!?"

Val was surprised, to say the least.

As I continued yelling my lungs out, I realized that a white-hot lump of anger and worry was expanding in my chest. A lump I'd been carrying around far longer than tonight. "You better have a damn good explanation, because I'm not taking any more of your bullsh-" I halted.

_Why is my eyesight so cloudy?_

Val and Mike were staring at me wide-eyed now, but Val quickly regained his composure.

"Mike, go upstairs now." He ordered.

The little brother nodded and ran up the stairs to flee from the scene.

I realized I was crying, I could feel the hot tears flowing down my face, dripping off my chin.

_He can't see me crying..._

I stomped to the kitchen, wiping my eyes furiously.

"Wai- hey!" I heard.

_Great, first I go to his house._

_Then I throw a tantrum in his living room, and now I'm sulking in his kitchen._

_What the Hell is wrong with me?_

_Am I..._

_Am I projecting out all of my frustrations onto him?_

_Why is this happening?!_

_Why of all the times, now?!_

I failed to hear the footsteps coming towards me.

"Hey…"

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

But as usual, I would shrug it off brusquely.

"Leave me alone Val. I don't want to talk to you right now." I weakly snapped.

He sighed, and I had a good feeling as to what he was thinking right now.

_Val thinks I am a pain in the neck, right?_

_That is true, no matter how I look at it..._

"I'm sorry Mon. You're right, I was careless. I should have called or something. I wasn't expecting to take so long, but I should have still made my whereabouts known." He stated.

_Why does he always act so selflessly?_

_Hasn't he shown his true colors already?_

_Why not drop the act?_

"Where were you?" I sniffled.

He bit his lip nervously as if choosing his words very carefully.

"I was walking Yuri home, and we ended up taking a while. It was pretty late when she got there, so I ran the rest of the way back." He answered.

_Walking…Yuri home?_

_I remember now._

The lump in my chest tightened, refusing to be forgotten.

_I..._

_I can't breathe._

_When he is around me with this knot in my heart..._

_It feels like I am suffocating..._

_What's going on?_

_Why did Yuri's name tighten my chest so much?_

_It hurts..._

_It really hurts..._

I got up and ran out of his door.

"Monika! Wait!" I heard him calling out from behind me.

_Why... does it feel like my heart's being compressed?_

_I can't think..._

_My body is moving on its own..._

I could hear him, already at my heels, but I continued to run, not caring where I'd end up.

Unfortunately, my tears and the dark night clouded my sight but I heard a car driving past our driveway.

I wasn't able to see the curb I was running full speed at, and I tripped.

_No..._

_So I am going to die like this?_

_Like a fool running away from her emotions?_

I let out a gasp, bracing for the impact.

The car sped by, the motor leaving an eerie noise behind.

However, I was not met with asphalt.

_What happened...?_

_Am I dead?_

Something was holding me back.

I realized Val was hugging me from behind, and in doing so, had saved me from falling on my face.

The same face that I currently felt start to burn up.

"Let go of me Val," I said, oblivious to the situation at hand.

In an instant, his face contorted as he gave me a death glare.

The glare frightened me to the very core.

"You fucking moron!" He yelled.

My eyes widened at how furious he was.

His voice pierced my soul as if he was yelling at it directly.

"Do you realize how close you were to dying?! DO YOU?!" He boomed infuriated by my rash action.

_W-What...?_

I took the chance to rationalize what just happened.

_..._

_I could have died today._

_That car would have run me over if I fell onto the road._

_But today, Val saved me..._

From there he hugged me close, as if I left his arms I would never come back again.

"You idiotic perfectionist... I thought I lost you there. I thought would have lost you again, and this time for good." He muttered, his voice threatening to break.

_..._

_What's wrong with me...?_

_He cares about me still._

_And here I was thinking he was putting up an act..._

_I am a monster._

_I don't deserve to be near him._

Everything started to converge onto me.

My tears spilled like a flowing river as I let out a scared wail.

"Waaaah!"

I buried myself into his shoulder as if trying to hide from him.

_A monster like me shouldn't near him._

_Everything I have done to antagonize him was wrong._

_And even I had a feeling that he didn't deserve any of my hatred._

_A voice told me that everything that happened that day was just a misunderstanding._

_But I didn't listen to it._

I sniffled and hiccuped as I cried in his arms, trying my best to regain my composure.

What felt like an eternity, I finally regained some semblance.

"Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" He asked expectantly.

_What would I tell you...?_

_I don't even know how I feel myself._

_How do you tell someone that you feel differently about them; especially if they never knew how you felt from the very beginning?_

"I was just worried, Val. That's all." I answered.

I couldn't bring myself to apologize and thank him for all he has done.

_So... I really am pathetic._

"Really? Then why did you run-" He started to say, with a hint of anger in his voice.

_When Val gets angry, he bursts like a bubble._

_He is usually kind and sweet, but getting genuinely angry is difficult._

_And almost getting myself killed because of my own hubris is one of those triggers._

"I think we should head home. It's getting pretty late." I interrupted, hoping that he would calm down a bit.

And so I can think about what I did.

"I'll walk you home then." He replied sternly as if understanding why I stopped him.

_No..._

_You don't have to walk a piece of trash like me back home._

"I live like, right next to you Val, I was going to walk with you anyway." I jokingly said, hoping to lighten mood a little.

He still glared at me.

And with that, we walked home and called it a night.

I made sure to close the door so he wouldn't confront me about my behavior.

Once in my house, I took a shower and got ready for bed, even though I was far from tired.

_Damnit, I was so busy crying that I forgot to ask what had happened while Val and Yuri were gone!_

_I'll just have to ask tomorrow then._

_But..._

_Why should I care?_

_Why would a girl like me care about a guy who deserves better?_

I laid in bed for what seemed like hours.

I checked the time.

_6:56 PM._

My talk with Amy still felt fresh in my mind.

I could remember what she had asked me.

" _Will you really go as far as to hate him though?"_

At the time, I hadn't been sure of myself.

To be quite honest, I thought that treating him as badly as I possibly could get him to stop talking to me.

However, that was not the case.

The guy had apparently latched onto me like a newborn puppy.

No matter how badly I treated him, he didn't bat an eye.

He was still generous and caring, much to my surprise.

_Hadn't he left me at the mercy of my father's choice?_

_He traded me for some apparently better friends._

_I hated him during my time at Ainu, and yet...I still hesitated._

He treated me as if he hadn't left me alone that night.

As if that night had never even happened.

And it hurt.

I didn't hate Val. I couldn't. But I no longer felt a romantic interest in Val.

Val was just a friend, albeit one that had to regain my trust, but nonetheless a friend.

_Just a friend._

_Right?_

_A friend that he..._

_He probably doesn't deserve me as a friend at all._

_After all, I have put him through, he should just cut me out of his life._

_Everything I did to him was unforgivable._

_I am grateful that he saved my life but..._

_No..._

_I can't be suicidal about this._

_Maybe I can make it up to him._

_Somehow..._

_Just somehow I can be the friend that he deserves!_

_But..._

_How will I do that?_


	3. Confidence(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

When I woke up the next morning, I realized that I had slept in the wrong position, because my back was killing me.

"Ugghh..." I groaned.

I got up and did my usual morning routine, which consisted of getting ready for school, and eating breakfast.

While I was eating breakfast, I finished writing the poem for today's club meeting, since I forgot to do it the night before.

Especially since I was sulking in my guilt.

And rightfully so, I guess.

A person like me should only be hit with guilt and be eaten away by it.

Once I started heading out, I was hit by a warm ray of sunlight the moment I opened the door.

I had to cover my eyes to avoid being blinded.

It seems like a beautiful day today.

But this time, I am not going to spoil it by focusing my thoughts on a particular guy.

He doesn't deserve it.

I made my way to school, taking in surrounding houses.

It was amazing how different these streets could look at various points in the day.

I made a mental list of what I needed to do today.

First, I need to find Amy and give her my answer.

Next, I have to combine both yesterday's and today's club meetings after school.

Last thing... I have to find out what it is that happened yesterday between Yuri and Val.

Something just doesn't add up... but I can't help myself for not knowing.

However, after last night's fiasco, I can't talk to Val like nothing happened.

That leaves Yuri, who isn't as easy to pressure as Val, but easy to do nonetheless.

While I was lost in thought, though, I had failed to notice the sound of footsteps approaching me.

It wasn't until I heard a familiar voice call my name out that I realized who it was.

"Mon!" Val called out to me.

I jinxed it, didn't I?

I continued walking, pretending not to hear him, but I knew he would just run up to me instead.

"Monika, wait!" He called out again.

Leave me alone...

I don't deserve to be around you.

I stopped and faced him.

"What do you want?" I asked brusquely, hoping he would get the message.

What he did next surprised me.

He bowed to me.

W-What?

Why is he apologizing to me?

I should be one to apologize to him!

"Please forgive me for what I did yesterday!" He exclaimed.

What kind of mental gymnastics did he go through to get to that conclusion?!

Usually, I would have nothing against having Val beg for forgiveness while bowing.

However, this was not the way I had hoped it would go.

I could feel my face start to burn up as people around us began to give us weird looks.

Students walking by would giggle to themselves, whispering who-knows-what. Older people would simply shake their heads.

They didn't say anything, but I knew what they were thinking.

"Kids these days."

Damn it!

"Get up, Val!" I hissed.

I didn't need this kind of embarrassment so early in the morning.

"Not until you forgive me!"

The surrounding people were starting to look at me, expectantly.

Are you kidding me?

"Fine! Just get the hell up!" I hissed. "I forgive you!"

He then got up and dusted himself off.

"Are you still mad at me, though?" He asked.

The nerve of this guy!

"No! I was never mad at you! I am supposed to be one to apologize to you!" I replied.

He stayed silent.

"Oh... Well, look, I am sorry for yelling at you yesterday. I just felt horrible, making you and Mike worry. I apologized to him this morning, and I felt I owed you an apology too. After all, you stayed with him while I was gone." He explained.

Why am I letting him apologize to me!

It should be the other way around!

Argh!

Why am I so powerless?!

"Don't worry. I'll make it up to you somehow." He confidently added.

For some inexplicable reason, Val looked really cool in my eyes.

I pursed my lips and looked away.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." I awkwardly waved off.

By now, we had arrived at the school's entrance.

I moved faster in order to lose him in the huge crowd made up entirely of students.

Geez. Who the hell apologizes like that in public?

I could feel my face start to burn up again.

Moron.

* * *

As school neared its end, I could feel the toll of all my classes start to pile up.

My thoughts were starting to become muddled and sluggish.

Argh, juggling my thoughts between how I treated Val and focusing on classwork really... devastates my mental energy.

The last two periods of the day were a blur, thankfully as I couldn't last any longer than that.

I sighed exhaustively and stretched to rid some of my exhaustion away.

Come on, Monika.

This is the best part of the school.

The literature club...

When school was finally over, I decided to grab a drink to wake myself up before our club meeting.

The energy drink replenished my diminished reserves a little, but it should be enough for the entire day.

I better not make it to the club late this time too…

Showing up to the clubroom while the verge of sleeping is unacceptable.

Fortunately, there were no complications and I made it just in time.

I was greeted by Yuri and Val, who were already chatting when I got there.

Argh, they are always together for some reason.

I couldn't help but feel a bit bothered by it, but I shrugged it off.

Why should give any thought to their relationship?

I could care less.

After all, it's good that Yuri is being friends with him.

She's a better friend than I will ever be.

Shortly after, Natsuki, Tom, and Sayori arrived.

We immediately began the meeting.

"Alright! We have no time to waste! We have to fit two club meetings at the same time as one! Let's start by exchanging poems!" I ordered enthusiastically, hoping that it spread to everyone.

Everyone gave their cries of approval went straight to work.

I was surprised by the amount of focus being displayed by everyone.

Even Sayori, the more rambunctious of the bunch, was walking around, sharing her poem enthusiastically instead of being all over Tom.

I almost didn't notice when Val came up to me to share his poems.

"Hello." He simply greeted, as he handed two sheets of paper.

The first poem seemed easy to figure out.

It appeared to be about feeling rejuvenated when something or someone dear to you is near.

The second poem was the one that caught my attention, however.

It was titled "Footsteps".

It seemed pretty ambiguous.

Even though he used metaphors to further emphasize his message, I couldn't quite get it.

"What is this one about, Val?" I asked him.

He looked up from my poem, looking confused.

"Which one?" He asked.

"Footsteps," I replied.

"Ah." was all he said. He stayed quiet for a few minutes, thinking about how to answer.

"I think the best way I can put it is...the fear of hesitation and uncertainty preventing you from leaving a legacy behind," he said.

Hesitation and uncertainty…

"And-" I began, but before I could finish, Yuri came up to us, holding her poems protectively, as to prevent us from reading them.

"V-Val?" She asked, in complete disregard for our conversation. I could feel my left eye twitch.

"Oh, hey Yuri, what's up?" He asked.

"Would you like to read my poems now?" She asked, avoiding eye contact.

Val looked at me as if to ask permission, but I simply shrugged.

"Do you just want to finish our conversation later?" He asked.

"Do what you want," I told him and went to find the next person to exchange poems with.

* * *

"H-Here you go…" Yuri said as we exchanged poems.

We wasted no time and started reading immediately.

Once I was done, I gave them back.

As usual, it was hard to know what Yuri was thinking when writing these. She handed my own poems back to me.

It's always a treat to read Yuri's work.

"W-What did you think about them, Valkyrie?" she asked timidly.

"As usual, these are really good! Your use of metaphors and imagery are unrivaled, aren't they?" I chuckled. She blushed at the compliment.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that…"

"Well, what was on your mind when you were writing these?" I asked, curious to know what inspired such complex poems this time around.

"E-Eh? Well…uh…" she began. I waited patiently for her to finish. We made eye contact momentarily, but she looked away, her blush intensifying.

"I-I could ask you the same thing! Your first poem was really different than usual. What's been on your mind?" She asked, obviously eager to change the subject.

"Wai-"

Before I could finish my sentence though, Sayori came up to me, flashing a smile.

"Hey, Val! Time to share!" The ray of sunshine exclaimed, to which Yuri frowned.

"Already?" She asked, her voice full of disappointment.

"Well, I've already shared with everyone except Val. He's the only one I haven't shared with," Sayori answered.

"Fine." Yuri huffed indignantly as she walked away, wearing an expression that matched her tone.

What was that all about?

I never thought Yuri would make such a face, hehe.

"Well... um... ready, Val?" asked Sayori, seemingly surprised by Yuri's reaction as well.

"Yeah... sure," I answered awkwardly.

I handed her my poems and she handed me hers.

Once we were done we gave each other our papers back.

"Val, what's up with this first poem? Are you feeling okay?" The usually cheerful girl asked, her eyes now full of concern.

She's talking about Footsteps, isn't she?

"Is it 'Footsteps' you're talking about?" I asked, judging by the fact that everyone else had brought this up.

"Yes, how did you know?" she asked.

"Well, everyone else has had pretty much the same reaction as you, haha," I answered, letting out a slight chuckle.

"Oh really? It's just that it's a bit worrying, I suppose. Have you been feeling well though?" Sayori asked again.

"Yep, I feel pretty good," I assured her. "Don't worry."

"Val I...was able to get out of a…difficult place in my life all thanks to friends, so if you ever feel that you need someone to talk to, please don't ever hesitate to talk to someone. Even if you feel that no one would care or listen, I will always be here for anything you need, okay?" She told me, her eyes welling up with tears.

That doesn't look good.

I couldn't bear to see my friend like that.

Especially one who's happy demeanor wasn't easily broken.

I quickly embraced her and could feel her shaking as tears started pouring down her face.

"Whoa, hey! It's okay. it's okay now. I'm sorry if my poem bothered you. But I'm fine, I promise Sayori. If I ever find myself in a dark place, you'll be the first to know. I'm counting on you, alright?" I said to her.

I continued to comfort my broken friend until the rest of the group noticed.

"Sayori…?" I heard Tom ask from somewhere in the room.

His gaze alternated between me and her, as he tried to piece together what had happened to the poor girl.

Once he knew or had a pretty good idea, he gave me a knowing look.

"Get her out of here. She isn't feeling good right now." I said through my eyes.

With a nod, I let go and he proceeded to escort her outside.

"Nice going, Val. You made Sayori cry." Natsuki snapped.

A wave of guilt swept over me, but I quickly stopped it.

It was indeed my fault that the bubbly girl had begun to cry, but I had no way of knowing the first place.

"What's done is done." I absentmindedly said, still feeling lost.

"Natsuki!" I heard someone scold.

"I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding, right Val?" That, someone, asked, but I paid no attention.

I was thinking about what has transpired.

What triggered her to start crying that badly?

I shouldn't have written that stupid poem.

But still...

I didn't know that it would hurt her in the first place...

"Guys? Why don't we give Sayori some time and finish sharing, okay?" Monika said, not really asking, but ordering us to do so.

"Yeah..." I heard Natsuki mumble awkwardly.

"O-Of course…" Yuri answered.

From there, I rested my hand on my chin and thought hard as to what was wrong with my poem.

While I was rereading my poem, I was suddenly met with a sharp pain in my back, who turned out to be Natsuki.

"Hey, Jerk. What did you do to Sayori?" The angry pinkette asked, crossing her arms.

That caught me off-guard, somehow was able to knock some of the wind out of me.

Fortunately, I recovered quicker than I anticipated.

Argh!

What the hell?!

I gave the girl a glare, which startled her, warning her not to do that again.

"I don't know, you idiot. I didn't DO anything to Sayori. She read something in my poem and it must have triggered a depressive episode." I snapped. "I didn't know things were this bad, anyway…".

Natsuki was taken aback from my aggressive retort, but managed to regain her composure.

"Oh really? Then why did you write that, blockhead? You said you didn't know things were bad. There's a reason we stay away from touchy feelings in our poems in the first place!" She barked back.

This... girl is really testing my patience.

Why the hell is she so hostile to me?!

I said I didn't know!

"I'm really not in the mood for your crap, Natsuki, so cut it out, will you?" I said rather sternly, staring her down.

She seemed taken aback by my response once more, considering I rarely even talked back to her.

As I continued to look into her eyes, however, I noticed a hint of sadness and hurt.

This was quickly replaced by anger though and was gone just as fast as it had appeared.

"Well, I wouldn't be telling you anything if you hadn't DONE anything to Sayori!" She yelled.

"Argh! You...! Were you not listening? I just told you I didn't do anything to her! My poem just bothered her!" I defended.

"Well, let's see this poem then!" She demanded, extending her hand.

I shoved the poem to her hands, not caring about what she thought about it.

She began to read, but her expression never changed.

Once she was finished, she simply looked at me without saying a single word.

"..."

Just as the tension was beginning to grow painful, she said something.

"What are you, depressed or something?" She finally asked.

"No, I am not." I calmly replied.

I was starting to wonder if my poem really gave out the message I wanted it to.

"Well, it sure seems like it." The pinkette replied, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I thought so too," Monika said from behind me unexpectedly.

She was crossing her arms, looking at me accusingly.

"I can you're hiding something, Val. There's no point in hiding anything from me in the first place. You know I will always find out." She mocked with a smirk.

And here I thought she couldn't be even bitchier.

No matter, I am ending this conversation right now.

"Give it up, Val. Tell me the real purpose of that-"

However. before she could finish her sentence, she was cut off.

"I'm afraid that's enough," Yuri said, with a look of determination.

Her posture was different than usual.

It was calm, collected, and most of all, defiant.

She wasn't a stuttering mess and not avoiding eye-contact at all costs.

Her voice was stern yet fierce, daring the others to oppose her.

Whoa… since when could Yuri do all... this?

Focus!

I need to end it on my own terms!

"Hey, Yuri, it's fine. I can handle this-" I began, but I was interrupted by the aforementioned girl.

That greatly irritated her for some reason, shocking me.

"No, it's not fine, Val! You can't keep letting them walk all over you like you're nothing! You deserve to be respected as a member of this club, yet they treat you as they please!" She ranted.

Wait... does Yuri really see me like that?

No, I need to focus on stopping this before it goes any further.

I looked at the two girls in question, who had suddenly seemed to find interest in the floor.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Yuri demanded. "Unbelievable! To treat a kind man, like him with the utmost disgust just... **pisses** me off! How could you two hound onto him?! He said he didn't know and tried to de-escalate the situation! You two are simply kicking up a fuss for the hell of it! How utterly ridiculous! I can't believe you two would do this!"

Goodness...

I have seen this time of anger before and it can only grow more and more passionate if I leave it be.

...

Because it's the same exact way I would angry.

This needs to stop **now**.

Before Natsuki and Monika could answer, however, I stepped in.

"Yuri, that's enough," I said in an assertive tone.

"No! They have to answer for their actions! Don't you feel humiliated to even be in their presence?! We have to-"

Before she could finish though, I interrupted her.

Damn it, Yuri!

I balled my fists and glared at her.

"I said that's enough! You're not helping, Yuri! You also need to calm down! Things are starting to get worse!" I exclaimed, raising my voice to overpower her anger.

…

The room went deafeningly quiet and stopped Yuri dead in her tracks.

In an instant, her aggressive demeanor was gone, only to be replaced by her usual timid one.

She took a few steps back, blinking back tears. I could see her bottom lip quivering.

The realization hit me like a truck. I had raised my voice at Yuri.

All of my misdirected anger had made Yuri cry.

As much I didn't want to admit it, it was the only way to stop her.

Calming her down using other methods was ineffective as best.

"Yuri, wait! I didn't mean to-!" I begged, but my words reached deaf ears, hoping I can salvage the situation.

"I-I'm sorry…" She whimpered before running out of the classroom.

"Tch! Yuri wait!" I called out to her, following her outside.

I chased her down the hallway, no longer caring about the club.

She was surprisingly fast, and I was struggling to keep up.

I continued to call her name but to no avail.

She just kept running until we reached the exit.

"Please, just leave me be, Valkyrie!" She sobbed out, wiping her eyes.

The girl ran for the exit, throwing the door open and running off into the afternoon.

I wanted to chase after her. I wanted to apologize for raising my voice at her. I wanted to do anything I could to comfort her, and let her know that I didn't mean to yell at her. Yet all I could do was just stand there watching helplessly, as she disappeared behind a corner.

My hands balled into fists as I punched the wall in frustration.

"Damn it!"


	4. Nostalgia(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

I continued to run, even when my lungs and legs screamed for me to stop.

Although I wasn't the fittest runner in the school, I managed to run for longer than I thought.

My legs instinctively took me to the direction where my house was, but before I could get any further, I gave out.

I rested my hand on a nearby lamp post and caught my breath.

Maybe I pushed myself a bit too hard...

As I reached up to wipe the sweat off my brow, but then I realized there was much warmer liquid around it.

I was crying…

My mind raced back to what happened earlier.

I never thought he would get so angry at me.

He looked so frightening… like the bullies back in middle school.

I felt…

Scared.

Was he a bully all along?

Are all guys like this?

What if he wanted to be my friend just to bully me?

No! I know in my heart that he wouldn't do such a thing!

But… what if he really wanted to do all that…?

No...

In apparent pain, I clutched my head in agony and looked up to the sky.

The skies were turning grayer and darker.

It almost looked like a certain guy's eyes.

No… No… No...

And so, I closed my eyes to block my view of the darkening skies.

"Hey, weirdo! Nice book!"

I don't want to be bullied…

"You're into knives? S-Stay away from me, freak!"

I don't want to be bullied.

"Argh! Stop talking about your stupid book! I don't care!"

I don't want to be bullied!

"Hey everyone! This girl likes reading about knives! Loser!"

I DON'T WANT TO BE BULLIED!

My mouth opened to let out a shrill cry, but I simply couldn't.

There was something holding me back from doing so.

But I had no idea what.

"Yuri, wait!"

My eyes shot up when I realized what stopped me.

V-Valkyrie?

His voice woke me up from my breakdown, and so I looked around for him.

I thought my head was playing tricks on me, so I closed my eyes once more.

But then...

"I didn't mean to-!"

I opened my eyes once more in shock.

What's going on…?

With no clear reason as to what exactly I am hearing, I decided to think about what his voice told me.

He didn't mean to…?

…

Did he… not mean to yell at me?

The stress from my chest started to alleviate when I started to think more rationally.

Both Monika and Natsuki were starting to give Valkyrie a very difficult time, especially over something he has no control over.

Sayori was always sensitive to emotions, and with how somber the poem was, it may have triggered something in her.

She did say she had a hard time with depression...

I started to ball my fists and grit my teeth at how the guy was getting pushed around by Natsuki.

It looked like he was getting bullied by Natsuki… But it looked like he knew what to do.

Even if he knew how to take down bullies, I just couldn't stop myself from interfering.

I felt my body heat up from how angry I was feeling.

Monika, his so-called childhood friend joined in and started to press him.

They were walking all over him, and it was something I couldn't stand for! He definitely did not deserve any of that shit they were throwing at him!

It's all injustice!

Why can't they see that he is a kind and caring man?!

All of a sudden, something sparked inside of me.

This… feeling...

I felt this jolt inside me when I saw him getting pushed around by her.

Out of curiosity, I placed my hand on my chest.

That same jolt always comes whenever I start to speak about something I like.

It feels…

Nostalgic.

Did I feel this… jolt when I was younger?

Before I… realized I was being bullied in elementary school?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

No, I need to think straight.

There's no point of thinking about my painful past...

Now thinking back on it, Valkyrie looked as if he grew more agitated when Monika stepped in.

It looked as if he wanted to diffuse the situation as soon as possible.

…

My eyes widened at what I was thinking.

He wanted to diffuse the situation…

No wonder he looked so furious, he realized he created a scene!

Valkyrie wanted to make things the way they were before Sayori left the room!

The pent up rage he was building up was too much for him to handle, so he, unfortunately, let off some of it to me.

…

I don't like how he yelled at me for that, but I should have seen it coming.

There was something definitely off about what I was thinking, and it was sticking out like a sore thumb.

No, he wouldn't do such a thing, even if he is angry.

"Yuri, that's enough."

I remember now…

My anger also spilled as well.

I was hounding on both Natsuki and Monika for their behavior, and he was trying his best to stop me from hurting them further.

"NO! They have-!"

Not only that, I yelled at him first.

With me worsening the situation, he knew he had to do something to stop me.

And that was to…

Yell at me.

I covered my face with my hands and flushed from embarrassment.

So it is my fault as well.

He technically never did anything wrong in the first place…

My flush turned into a shaky frown.

It's also because of me he's hurt.

He's hurt from me running away and refusing to listen to him.

Instead of beating myself over it, I decided to do the next best thing.

I have had enough of berating myself.

Right now, I need to take a stand and learn from my mistakes and finally move on.

When I see him tomorrow, I will make sure apologize for my behavior.

My lips then curved into a curious smile.

* * *

I do like how he can be so… righteous.

A warm feeling inside my heart started to pool as I walked.

The ideas of thinking how great he was made me feel elated.

And so, I started to play around with the ideas until I got home.

These feelings, why do they feel so nostalgic?

It's as if I felt this way about him for a long time.

But what's making it all nostalgic?

My vision readjusted to a familiar large house, which approached closer and closer, much to my comfort.

Oh, I'm home earlier than I should be.

I looked to my side to find out there was nothing there.

And I forgot my bag when I ran out…

Even though I felt jittery from nostalgia, I couldn't help but let out a sigh.

Looks like I will have to ask the girls to pick it up…

I rang the gate and hoped someone was home.

Fortunately, there was, as I heard the gate buzz.

"Onee-chan!" A voice called when I entered my home. "You're home early! Did the club get dismissed early?"

I gave my younger sister, Haru, a small smile and nodded.

Although I was older than her by five years, she looked exactly like me when I was still a young teenager.

"Yes, Haru." I simply answered, before going up the stairs to my room.

"Onee-chan, wait!" She called, stopping me in my tracks. "I know you just came back but could you go and get some groceries? I'm a bit busy with making dinner..."

I know what that means.

"Mother and Father are at an official meeting, right?" I asked.

They aren't going to be home tonight.

My sister shared my melancholic feeling and nodded slowly.

I then perked up when I realized the potential benefits of going outside again.

A small smile crept behind my lips as I walked back towards the gate.

My sister looked puzzled at my quiet departure before running to the door.

"It's going to rain! Do you have an umbrella?!" She yelled out to me.

Unfortunately, I couldn't her all that well from the distance and yelled back.

Even though I would never yell around my friends, that doesn't mean I wouldn't yell while in my home.

"Yes! I do have money with me, don't worry!" I answered, now exiting the gate.

As I continued to walk to the supermarket, my mind sprang up with ideas about how nostalgic Valkyrie was.

I think…

I think I like this.

* * *

The club meeting ended sooner than it should have.

As I walked back to the club, I continued to ponder and scold myself over what just happened a few minutes ago.

How did I let my temper get the best of me?!

I thought I was able to control it like I always have!

But this time, no… this time it started to spill.

And this time, I realized how nasty my temper can get.

Yelling at a sweet girl like Yuri just cause I was getting frustrated?

What in the world is wrong with me?!

My pace back to class stopped when I realized what was going on.

I'm doing it again…

Am I still angry?

Well, why wouldn't I be?

I'm angry at myself for failing to diffuse the situation properly.

Not only that, I failed on keeping my cool against Natsuki.

…

But what really made my temper explode was when Monika jumped in.

The way she interrogated me greatly irritated me for some reason.

It's like all that trust we had as kids were suddenly gone when she tried to press me.

Maybe that's what added to my explosion…

I felt… betrayed.

When I walked into class, I noticed that Sayori and Tom's bag were gone, and the only people in the class were the two girls and me.

I walked past them with a death scowl, hoping that they would crack and give me some sort of apology.

But instead, both Monika and Natsuki couldn't look me in the eye as I started to pack up.

I internally scoffed at them, self consciously knowing that I was still pretty infuriated over what happened.

Besides, I am sure that I was burning through their heads with my glare.

Now that I think about it, I am not in the mood to talk to them since they were the ones to make the whole situation with Sayori worse.

Right now, I need to fix things with Yuri.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yuri's dark purple school bag.

I walked over to it and picked it up.

She must have forgotten this when she- yeah…

I let out a shaky sigh as I let my bashful thoughts materialize.

What if Yuri doesn't forgive me?

She looked pretty hurt when I tried to apologize and she said to-

"Please leave me alone, Valkyrie."

I stared at the purple bag, racking my head as to what went wrong.

The pain in her voice…

…

I guess the least I can do is to return this to her and apologize.

Right now, I was walking towards Yuri's house, against my better judgment.

I know I should give her some space but… I do have a reason to go there anyway.

My stomach was starting to be a ballad for butterflies.

How am I going to give this bag to her?

I can't just go in and say: "Oh hey, Yuri! Sorry for yelling at you like a dumbass! Welp, here's your bag! Later!"

No… my apology has to be a bit more sincere.

I should probably buy something to lighten up her mood.

But what?

What does Yuri like really?

Maybe I could buy some flowers or something?

She does like Jasmine tea a lot, so I can buy her that flower.

Oh! Maybe I should buy her some tea leaves!

I shook myself out of my thinking state and I smiled.

My eyes adjusted to the neighborhood I was in and I realized something.

Right… I am talking about Yuri.

The houses, no mansions are very high class!

Buying her anything is literally pointless anyway.

I guess my best bet is to just ask her what she likes and then I can go from there.

With a small sigh, I stretched my arms up.

"Hey! Val!" Someone called.

Huh?

I turned around to see both Sayori and Tom run over to me.

My confused look mellowed into a friendlier one.

I waved at them and walked up to them to close the distance.

My first instinct was to ask if Sayori was okay.

But as if reading my mind, Tom answered me.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Val. Everything's okay." He assured with a smile.

I smiled back at him, impressed how he was able to read my mind, or rather my facial expressions.

"Oh, thank goodness. I was getting a little worried about how you were feeling Sayori." I muttered with relief.

The coral pink haired girl smiled brightly.

"It's okay! Thanks for worrying about me, Val! It looks like I still have some problems that I didn't realize I had. Your poem was basically a dianoseistis for anything wrong with me." She cheered.

Tom sighed and put his hand on the girl's head.

In an instant, her bouncy self was now a mere timid shell.

She tapped her fingers together and blushed as she looked on the ground.

"It's called diagnosis, Say." Tom corrected before looking up to me. "In any case, we're on our way to her psychiatrist and see what's up."

He then looked to the blushing bun.

"Even with all that cinnamon in you, there are some sour parts left inside, huh?"

Sayori looked up, her blush still in place and pouted at Tom.

"Yeah, so what?! I still want to save a cream filling, ya know!"

I tightened my gaze at the two when I tried to understand what she said.

…

What?

I slowly raised an eyebrow at the two.

Sayori give a perverted remark to Tom?

In an instant, I noticed Tom's face go from neutral, to confused, shocked, and finally, flustered.

Sayori, on the other hand, blushed a deep pink that looked identical to her hair.

Just back away and give them space, me.

"U-Uh…" I croaked, causing both of them to jump.

"Am I interrupting something here?"

Both of them looked away from each other and yelled "No!"

Okay, I know something's up to, either way, I am not that much of an idiot.

"Well, um, in any case, I need to give this bag to Yuri, so I am gonna head out." I stammered, trying my best to salvage the situation here.

They both gave me their quiet goodbyes, to which I gave a meek nod to them.

My surroundings started to dim slightly as I continued to walk to her house, so instinctively I looked up to the skies.

Huh, it looks like it's gonna rain today.

Good thing I have my raincoat and umbrella with me.

When I arrived at Yuri's house, or rather mansion, something nostalgic started to well up inside of me.

This nostalgic feeling was infused with a hint of deja vu; like as if I was here a long time ago.

Yuri's mansion was washed by the orange sunlight, which further exacerbated this feeling.

…

What…?

What am I feeling?

It feels so weird…

The deja vu is making me think I was here with Yuri after I went out with that one time.

What one time?

The only time I came here was yesterday...

As I approached the mansion, the deja vu feeling was starting to become overwhelmed with nostalgia.

What's going on…?

I feel as if my head is replacing memories of my childhood with something obscure.

Something that didn't happen before at all…

Or did it?

Shaking it off, I walked up to the large mansion gate and rang the bell.

The gate buzzed, letting me inside the building.

As I walked in, the smell of fresh cooking struck me with immense nostalgia.

I…

I think I remember this smell!

The aroma smells like fresh udon.

Not the kind Monika and I made right before the day all that happened.

This aroma is a lot richer, and it was something that I always tried to emulate back when we made udon.

What was that secret ingredient that made it so… fragrant?

"Jeez, Onee-chan you can be so forgetful for someone so-"

My head whipped to a young girl's voice.

I felt my eyes dilate in confusion when I saw the girl's appearance.

Y-Yuri?!

The girl looked a lot like Yuri, but instead, she looked much younger and less developed than Yuri, so I assumed it was her younger sister.

I could've sworn that was Yuri…

But why does she look so familiar?

It's as if I saw her like this a long time ago…

The girl was wearing a white apron that also sparked that same feeling of nostalgia.

And that apron…

What's up with how familiar it looks too?

And-

The girl shrieked in terror and panicked at the sight of me.

"AAAAH! M-M-Molester!"

That snapped me out of my daze and I immediately tried to calm her down.

"Whoa, whoa wait! I am a-"

"Molester! I know!" She interrupted, now pulling out an umbrella. "Stay back! I know how to use this!"

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the girl.

"I'm a friend of Yuri's." I calmly stated as I pointed to her bag. "She and I are in the same literature club, and she left this behind when we were leaving. I am only here to drop this off."

The girl squinted at me as if debating to trust me or not.

And so, I waited patiently for her to come up with a decision.

She then put down the umbrella and laughed sheepishly.

Phew, crisis averted…

"Oh… uh, um." She stammered in embarrassment. "I am sorry! I am sorry! I didn't know you were friends with my sister!"

I shrugged nonchalantly and waved my hand.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Now, is your sister home? I need to talk to her about something…"

The girl smirked and crossed her arms.

"Maaaybe… but first things first, you gotta introduce yourself ya know?"

Oh right.

…

Damn it! How could I forget that?!

"My bad. Name's Val Jones. You are?"

The purple haired girl squinted at me again.

"Val…? Hmm, I think I've heard that name before. Do you have a younger brother named Mike?"

Mike?

At first, I felt apprehensive of Yuri's sister knowing my brother, before coming to the realization that they might be schoolmates.

"Yes… I do? Are you one of his classmates?" I asked back.

The girl looked to me in shock but then shook her head out of it.

"Just as I thought, you're as smart as him, aren't you hunk?" She remarked. "My name is Haru, and I am Yuri's younger sister!"

And just like that, I felt uncomfortable.

"Uh, yeah… nice to meet you. Also, you haven't quite answered my question." I said, trying to rid the awkward atmosphere around me.

She looked confused at what I was talking about.

"The one about Yuri being home." I reminded.

"Oh, right! Sorry, Yuri isn't home right now." She answered.

W-What?!

But then where did she go?

Wait…

Why do I care about where she is?

And what's with this weird feeling in my chest?

Haru was amused for some reason before smiling mischievously.

"Ehehehe! Looks like you're worried about my older sister aren't you Jones?" She teased.

Well yeah, she ran off without listening to me and with how scared she is of others, I am worried!

"Your face says it all ya know." She mysteriously added. "Anyway, my sister went to the supermarket to buy some groceries. We're having some family Udon and we're missing a couple of ingredients."

My chest was relieved when I knew Yuri was home before.

"Oh, that's real nice," I commented, before realizing what I had in my hands. "Ah, that's right. I still have her bag. Could you drop this off by her room?"

I then gave Yuri's bag to her, which she took with two hands.

"Sure. Is there anything else you need, Val?" She asked.

I nodded slowly.

"Yeah… do know where the supermarket is?"

* * *

I was now walking home with an armful of groceries for dinner.

While I was walking, I went back to trying to link nostalgia with Valkyrie.

What does nostalgia have to do with him?

Maybe I should try to remember from the start.

When did I meet him exactly?

That exact question stumped me for some unknown reason.

Strange… when exactly did I meet him?

The obvious answer was yesterday, but something felt off about that.

I am sure I only met him yesterday.

* * *

My mind raced back to how we first met.

Dokisai High was a strange and new environment, especially for me.

I always had difficulty trying to adjust to new places, but this didn't only apply to me in the academic field.

My head was still adjusting to new sounds and sights this place had to offer, so I didn't exactly know where I was going.

I frowned at how crowded the hallways of this school was, and I was trying my best to not seclude myself.

This is only the hard part, according to Natsuki and Sayori.

But I don't think I can handle much more of this…

Maybe I should just quit walking around and go straight to class.

In the off chance, I looked up to see Sayori.

There was a small spark of hope when I saw her.

But then I saw her with a boy that I didn't recognize.

Hmm? Does Sayori know him?

…

They look like they have been friends for a very long time.

Sayori can be friends with everybody without a problem.

The same applies to Natsuki.

And also to Monika.

But not to me… I envy their ability to make friends easily…

"Hey, Tom!" A male voice greeted the boy.

The boy perked up and turned to the side.

"Yo, Val! What's up?" He greeted back.

Even he can say hello without backing out…

I am so useless.

Why can't I get over my fears of being social?

Why can't I just move on and-

"Wait! Look out!"

In an instant, I looked ahead of me to see a man with onyx black eyes apparently shocked to see me.

I could have easily sidestepped the man, but there something off those black eyes of his.

For some reason, those eyes look… familiar.

No, they also look nostalgic for some reason as well.

Did I meet him-

*BADUMP*

"Kyaaa!" I yelped as I felt the weight of the man fall on top of me.

From there, I felt his hands pressed against my chest in order to lessen the fall.

Our heads collided somewhat, giving both of us a minor concussion.

I groaned from the concussion and tried to shake it off.

But I felt something on my chest.

They felt large and firm, and they had a good grip on my breasts.

I felt a small carnal desire for whatever was holding me, to squeeze.

And it was granted.

I've never touched myself like that before…

And it feels so good.

"Aaah!" I moaned from how pleasurable it felt.

But then whatever gripped me quickly released itself.

With that release, the concussion came back in full blast.

It rattled me to the point that I unconsciously started to speak my mother tongue, Russian.

"(My head… that hurt…)" I muttered, rubbing my head from the pain.

I heard a small screech of sneakers, meaning someone was right next to me.

My eyes looked up to the man in front of me.

The same onyx eyes from before were looking right at me.

My mind connected two and two together, realizing what had just happened.

He fell on top of me and he also…

He touched me…

But before my face could exert any sort of expression, I heard his voice.

It was a confident, apologetic, and soothing voice.

"(I'm very, very sorry! Let me help you up, miss...?)"

W-What?

Did I hear that right?

Did he just speak in Russian?

No, my head is just suffering from the concussion…

That has to be the only explanation.

"(M-My na-name is Yuri. Yuri Anastasiya Ikeda. A-And you are?)" I replied.

The words that came out of my mouth didn't feel like the language he would understand.

I was speaking to Russian to him.

And so, I was going to repeat myself in a much hastier with the language he understands.

But then…

I saw his smile.

It was a small, warm smile that made me feel…

Calm, and… familiar.

But I couldn't place my finger as to what it was exactly.

"(My name is Valkyrie Jones. It is nice to meet you, Miss Ikeda.)"

His smile looked attractive, and I felt my face starting to burn up because of that.

Against my better judgment, I looked away in shame.

He called me…

Miss Ikeda…

"(P-Please don't call me Ikeda.)" I managed to blurt out. "(Everyone calls me Yuri. And i-it's great to meet you, Jones. Um, I-I must go…)"

With that, I broke into a sprint, trying my best to get away from him as fast as possible.

The hallways were now a lot less crowded than before, and so I stopped around a corner when I felt comfortable.

His name is Valkyrie Jones…?

What an odd, foreign name.

He also looks very foreign too, and he looks completely different than the other guys here.

And not only that, he can speak Russian…

M-Maybe he can be my friend?

Just maybe…

I can only hope for a chance.

My lips curved into a smile from that day before.

Because of that one encounter, I felt much better in school.

If only I met him sooner...

Besides Monday, there wasn't any day before that we met…

I was transferred to Dokisai along with the girls because of the gas leak in Ainu, but before that, I was enrolled in Junpei Junior High.

Did we meet as children?

That could sound-

*CRACK*

Eh?

I looked up to the skies to see raindrops starting to pour down to the streets below.

Rain?!

Oh no!

With a tight grip on the groceries, I started to run.

My uniform was beginning to be drenched with rain as I ran to the side of a building that provided cover.

Once I was under the building, I let out a disappointed sigh.

How could I have been so ignorant of the weather?

I even saw some rain clouds when I started walking home!

All these thoughts of Valkyrie made me distracted!

I frowned at the downpour, knowing that I had to wait for the rain to stop in order to walk home.

The rain didn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon.

Looks like dinner will have to wait…

Sorry, Haru…

As I closed my eyes to rest for a bit, I heard wet footsteps to my side.

"Yuri! There you are!" A familiar voice called.

* * *

The purple haired girl looked to her side in surprise.

"Eh?" She cutely let out.

At that moment, I regretted my decision and zoned out.

Aw jeez, I knew this was a bad idea!

I should have just given her space and-!

There was something soft in front of my chest and something pulling me in.

I looked down to see Yuri hugging me, her chest somewhat visible through the drenched uniform.

My face flared up when I realized what was going on, and so my first instinct was to push her off.

But instead, I decided against it.

I don't know why I didn't stop myself from pushing her off me, but something in me felt oddly old.

Whatever it was, I decided to let it be and let Yuri hug me.

Pushing her off is a bad idea anyway.

Yuri then released me with a small smile.

"Hello, Valkyrie. I am so glad you're here."

I smiled from her genuine pleasure with me being here.

She is?

My lips curved into a smile as well.

Aww… that's so sweet!

But then Yuri realized what she said and looked away.

"I-I mean um… uh… uuuu…! I am sorry!" She apologized.

Uh… okay?

She fidgeted momentarily as if deciding what to do before taking a deep breath.

"I am sorry for reacting the way I did back in the literature club!" She bowed.

My eyes looked down to her shrunken figure, mesmerized by her glistening galaxy purple hair.

Huh?

Wait, she's sorry?

Shouldn't I be the one to apologize to her?

Argh, this isn't the time!

We can settle this later!

I put my hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her upwards, to which she softly moaned.

"Ah… your hands are so warm and firm..."

That moan tickled my heart and caused me to blush.

"Yuri, you and I can apologize later. But right now, we should get back home."

She looked away but nodded in agreement.

I unbuttoned my coat and offered it to her.

"Here, this should keep you warm. From the looks of it, you're all wet from the rain."

Yuri turned to me in surprise, as if she was being offered a large sum of money for free.

She darted her gaze to me and then to the coat, and back to me.

"Um… okay." The timid girl mumbled as she took the coat.

The coat was a few sizes bigger than her, and she had a little trouble putting it on.

"Here, let me..."

I helped her put on the coat and buttoned her up.

Yuri looked down to see how the coat fit her.

Oh wow, she looks pretty nice in that.

She grabbed the collar of my coat and took a couple of whiffs.

I eyed her curiously as she did that.

Why is she-

"Haaah… it smells just like you."

Huh?

As I focused my gaze on her, she simply looked away with a blush.

In any case, I took the groceries away from her.

"I'll carry the groceries back to your house, so don't worry," I stated.

The timid girl nodded meekly.

I thought that was it and turned to the rain, but I heard her mutter something.

But then she took a deep breath.

"T-T-Thank you so much, Valkyrie! Thank you for the coat and carrying my groceries! I really appreciate it!" She loudly announced.

I felt a small smile creep onto me as she said all that.

"You're welcome, Yuri. And also… could you call me by my middle name, Gilliot? Hearing you say say Valkyrie is a bit weird, don't you think?"

Her purple eyes shined with mirth as I offered my name to her.

"Gilliot? Gilliot. Gilliot…" She mumbled quietly.

For some reason, I stared at Yuri's lips as she muttered my name.

They were cute, shy, and oddly attractive to me.

"Of course...Gill." She answered.

For some reason, the way she said my name felt eerily familiar.

Did she call me that once before?

With an approving nod, I opened up the umbrella and motioned her to come over.

The rain was still pouring, but the umbrella managed to keep the water off of us.

We continued to walk in relative silence for a little while before I realized something was off.

I looked to my side and saw Yuri somewhat shivering.

Oh no…

"Yuri, are you feeling cold?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"No, no! I am fine, Gill. Your coat is very warm, so don't worry..."

I can tell that Yuri is lying.

And I can also tell she has never told a proper lie at all.

"Okay, whatever you say." I nonchalantly said, masking my intents.

We continued to walk for a few seconds before I asked her to carry the umbrella for me.

From there, I smirked at what I was going to do next.

I wrapped my arm around her back and brought her close to me.

"Kyaah?!" She let out, both startled and confused by the apparent grab.

Her purple eyes shifted darted all across my face as I continued to stare.

Wait, wait!

I am staring at her!

Quick, think of something to get out of this!

In an instant, my gaze focused on Yuri's flustered face.

Because of that, I chuckled wholeheartedly from her cute reaction.

"Awww! You're so cute, Yuri! Ahaha!" I exclaimed.

She turned a deep red and looked away.

I could've sworn that there was steam coming off her head as a result.

This girl has no idea how adorable she could be, huh?

I let out a happy sigh.

"Yuri, I can tell you were lying," I stated. "I know you're feeling cold with that drenched uniform of yours."

She continued to look away, only this time in guilt.

"Y-You're doing so much for me Gill, and yet-"

I grabbed the side of her arm and kept her close.

"Keeping yourself warm is something that shouldn't be taken so lightly, Yuri. I don't want you to get sick while I could've done something about it."

There was a slight tinge of old guilt in my voice, but I shrugged it off.

"But y-you're so close…" She whispered.

That's right…

I am pretty close to her.

"I know, I know this is all very uncomfortable for you and all, but just let me do this okay? I just don't want you to miss a day of school." I replied, feeling a little off.

She turned to me with a much more confident look on her face.

"Why don't you want me to miss a day of school?" Yuri smirked while keeping a puzzled look on her face.

Is she… teasing me?

"Well um…" I stammered, her teasing now getting to me. "It's just that uh, you're my friend Yuri. I would feel lonely without you around."

Her eyes widened from my confession.

"You would feel lonely?" She simply asked.

There wasn't any stutters or insecurities in her voice when she asked that.

Yuri's teasing me without even realizing it!

"Y-Yeah…" I replied.

If I say anymore in this state, I might say something weird…

With a vibrant smile, she moved closer and rested her head on my shoulder.

Everything in my body was going haywire because of this girl.

I'm pretty sure Monika and I did this a couple of times, but it never felt this weird!

Yuri shifted a little and looked up to me with a twinkle in her purple eyes.

"In that case, Gill…" She slowly said. "May you please keep me warm?"

All I could do was nod and look straight ahead, while she put her weight on me.

Just a few moments ago, she was the one all shy and all, but now?!

I'm the shy one and she's the confident one!

To combat my nervousness, I took a deep breath.

But what I didn't expect was how fragrant she was.

Her scent was lavender with a hint of Jasmine that I couldn't get enough of.

I felt a little jittery from how good she smelled.

We continued to walk in silence with us glued together.

In the middle of the journey back, she shifted again, but this time to hug my arm.

My body heated up from the contact of her chest.

"Your arm is very warm, Gill." She remarked.

I chuckled nervously.

"Y-Yeah, I wonder why…"

Fortunately, the torture of not trying to move my arm around a little was over.

It didn't take long for us to get to her mansion, so I told myself I was just about to earn myself a reprieve.

"Well looks like we made it " I muttered, looking to my side.

Yuri sighed happily before looking up.

"Yeah, looks like we did." She said with the same smile from before.

It's to see Yuri happy and all, but I don't know if I can take much more of this!

I tried giving signals to Yuri that she should let go, but she wouldn't budge.

With a mental sigh, we walked up to the gate and buzzed it.

Just drop her off and go.

My senses are on the fritz with her around me!

She's just so damn hot without realizing it!

The door opened as walked up to it, with Haru standing inside.

"Yuri!" Her younger sister called, giving her a hug.

I smiled at how sweet the scene was.

Haru reminds me of my brother now that I think of it.

"Thanks for-"

"Thank you for walking me home, Gill." Yuri interrupted, smiling at me.

And just like that, I felt very nervous once more.

Haru pouted at her sister for interrupting her but sighed.

"It's no problem, Yuri." I sheepishly said, while looking away. "Well, if that's that, then I should get a move on."

"Gill! You're leaving already?" She called in shock.

I turned around to see that her smile had vanished.

Instead, a small frown took its place, crushing any weird feelings inside of me.

"Uh, well… I don't know if my brother is even home right now. For all I know, he might be sitting in the balcony, bored out of his mind." I answered, slowly as each word pained Yuri.

It hurt to see Yuri's face lose color as I stated my reason to leave.

As I took a step back to walk away, Haru stopped me.

"Val, your brother left school early today. He was feeling a little sick today, so his dad picked up." She stated, with the same serious grit her sister has.

I raised an eyebrow and took out my phone.

"Really? How come I didn't- Oh."

There were a couple of missed calls from my house and a few texts asking where I was.

Upon further examination, my dad texted me that I didn't need to go to Lotus for today.

From that, I laughed bashfully.

"Hahaha… you're right about that Haru. I didn't know that until now." I awkwardly replied.

The girl grinned and put her hands on her hips, similarly to one girl in the literature club.

"Well if that's the case, then would you like to join us for some Udon?" She asked.

I really would like some time away from Yuri, especially considering how I am behaving right now.

But…

I glimpsed to Yuri to see her staring at me with meek eyes.

She really wants me around, huh?

With a defeated sigh, I smiled at the two.

"Alright, what's the worst that could happen?" I replied, closing up my umbrella.

In an instant, Yuri's eyes lit up as she smiled with relief.

"Hey, Yuri…" Haru called with a smirk on her face. "You can maybe show your boyfriend your room."

And just like that… her smile fell to a flustered look.

"W-W-What?! H-Haru! Bo-Boyfriend?!" She yelled, to which her sister only giggled.

"I'm kidding! Maybe not show him your room but instead show him your linger- mmmph, mmph! Mmmph!"

Yuri's face was redder than a pepper as she tried to shush Haru.

But there wasn't any need.

Her…

Lingerie?

My perverted fantasies started to take hold as I imagined Yuri in a revealing purple bra and underwear, her hair perfectly complimenting her lingerie and grace.

Everything from her busty chest, long legs, and a generous buxom were taken into account in my fantasy.

Oh yeah…

…

Wait! Wait! Wait!

Jeez! Am I really thinking about Yuri like that?!

She's just a friend!

"Let's just go inside." I suddenly said, before heading in.

The girls behind me quickly followed.

"Onee-chan, I told you if you had an umbrella! Now you're soaking wet!"

"Sorry, Haru…"

The younger sister sighed behind me, causing me to turn around.

"Take a bath, Yuri. I will start finishing up on the Udon."

Yuri nodded and went upstairs, before turning to me.

"Do you need to take bath too, Gill?" She asked innocently.

My face burned up at her request.

A bath with Yuri?!

I wonder if she would wash my back…

"Uh… I'm good. I'll just wait here until the udon's finished."

Yuri nodded again, but this time with a sweet smile.

My heart stopped as she turned on her heel, her long purple hair swaying elegantly to the side as she walked off to the bathroom.

W-Wow…

"Ehehe! Looks like you have taken an interest in my sister, huh?" Her sister suddenly said, causing me to jump a little. "Anyway, you can wait in her room if you want while I cook."

With that, the teenager walked off with a mischievous giggle.

Me…?

Having an interest in Yuri?

Do I have an interest in her?

I mean… I just want her to be happier and more sociable.

Does that count?

I closed my eyes and let out an exhausted sigh.

Well, I don't know.

I was never good with feelings and stuff.

Even if I did have an interest, I am sure Yuri deserves someone better than me.

I inhaled and exhaled to calm myself down.

Gill's at my house!

A guy is at my house!

And it's a guy that I…

"It's just that uh, you're my friend Yuri. I would feel lonely without you around."

I haven't heard those words in years, and hearing them again is refreshing.

Especially from a guy that I like.

He genuinely wants my company.

He's so very kind and caring to me.

He speaks my mother tongue with perfect enunciation and diction.

And I also find him very attractive.

It truly is a surprise that he wasn't taken just yet.

Monika did bring him up one time during Valentine's Day, so I assumed he was her boyfriend.

As much as I wanted to support her, I am **so glad** that he is single.

With a towel wrapped around me, I headed towards my room.

Maybe Gilliot might like me too.

But how do I get him to notice me?

I don't know if my body will entice him…

He probably wouldn't find me attractive.

Monika is much more attractive than me.

Her smile, hair, and overall body are better looking…

Maybe I can attract him with my personality...?

That can work.

…

But I can't look that bad, right?

I really hope not...

I opened the door and walked directly towards my mirror.

My mind began to focus on my body completely, drowning out everything as I examined its shape and size.

I let the towel drop to the floor and I inspected myself.

My eyes scanned my body in hopes that I found myself a bit attractive for him.

Is my chest bigger than Monika's?

I put my hands on myself and held them to see if they were indeed large.

Hmm…

I think they might be.

Monika mentioned that she was barely a D-cup, Sayori said she was barely a C-cup and Natsuki is an A-cup.

But I don't know my size.

I sighed exhaustively and looked around for my lingerie.

Where is it?

My eyes scanned the room for any underwear I could wear.

Oh right! Most of my lingerie is being washed!

I think I left mine back at the bathroom-

As I turned around, I saw someone staring directly at me with a twitching eye.

Val?

…

EHHHHH?!

I covered myself up with my arms and felt my body melt with heat.

When my eyes widened, he finally reacted.

"Oh jeez, I am so sorry Yuri! I didn't mean to peek! Your sister told me to wait here and-"

Wait, Gill finally saw how I looked like without clothes…

Does that mean he is attracted to me?

"It's okay." I calmly interrupted, now feeling the heat dissipate from my cheeks.

That stopped his excessive apologies.

"Huh…?! W-What? How is it okay?" He asked, completely shocked.

It's because I don't mind.

It's because I trust you.

It's because I…

I like you a lot.

My cheeks burned slightly this time, but I decided I needed to become bolder for him.

I needed to open my locked and repressed self for him.

"I don't mind you looking at me, Gill." I finally managed to say, now starting to loosen up.

With a small smile, I looked into his eyes.

He was still baffled by how bold I was.

"I-I really trust you enough to not do anything I don't want." I continued, my heart pounding like never before.

"Yuri…?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I'm gonna say it.

I have to say it!

I am done being shy with myself!

This time, I am going to take matters into my own hands!

"The reason behind all this is that I really-"

*WHOOSH*

"Onee-chan! Val! Dinner's ready!" My sister interrupted, mischievously grinning at me.

* * *

I was sitting down in a very familiar kitchen/dining room.

Again, that strange feeling of nostalgia was back again and I had no idea what caused it.

The nostalgia, however, wasn't enough for me to be distracted on what happened earlier.

Does Yuri trust me that much?

To the point where she doesn't mind me catching her naked?!

The image of Yuri's naked body was forever seared into my memory.

As much I don't want to say anything and be neutral about, Yuri is attractive.

Very, very attractive.

Everything about her body screams beautiful.

Not only that but her change of personality lately…

She has been a lot more lively after I offered her my coat.

And I like that side of Yuri a lot.

This Yuri… she is very bold and confident.

I find that more attractive.

What is this feeling?

Admiration?

Idolization?

I don't know what this is.

"Gill, you should eat your udon soon, otherwise it will get cold." Yuri stated with a dash of cunning.

"Yeah, Val! I am pretty sure I nailed the udon tonight!" Haru added, slurping on the noodles.

How is Yuri not feeling a little off about all this?!

That's very impressive!

This is nothing like her old self!

With a smile I dug into my udon.

The noodles passed my lips and it struck me.

"Oh my gosh…" I muttered.

This is what I have been aiming for all this time!

The udon Monika and I were trying to make!

"Hahaha! Looks like he likes it!" Haru remarked.

"Who made this recipe?" I quickly asked, catching both girls by surprise. "This tastes remarkably similar to the udon I used to make!"

They exchanged glances with each other before Haru decided to reply.

"It's originally our Mom's recipe, but Yuri made some changes back when she was a kid. Isn't that right Onee-chan?" She replied now looking to her sister.

I looked to Yuri who looked flustered.

Huh, looks like the old Yuri isn't completely-

"Yes, that's right. I used to make udon with mother when I was younger. I made some recipe changes mainly because of how bland the flavor got overtime. So I added in some spices that would help that." Yuri explained confidently.

Well, I guess I'll go fuck myself.

Yuri stepping up to take credit, huh?

I am so happy for her now!

"Is that so, Yuri? Can you give me the recipe, please? I was always trying my best to try and replicate this exact flavor!"

The girl was taken aback for a split second but managed to gain her composure.

"Of course, Gill. You can have it." She simply answered. "But could I ask you a question?"

I nodded.

"Shoot."

"Where did you taste this exact flavor? I am sure my mother and I only made udon for our own."

I stopped and thought hard from the question.

That's the question I was trying to answer in the first place as well.

"I am not sure really. It's just… everything about this udon is familiar and I love it."

Yuri smiled at me.

"I am glad that you love my recipe."

Haru rolled her eyes, knowing that she was taken out of the picture.

"Yeah sure, it's not like I made the udon in the first place." She muttered.

With that being said, I chowed down on the udon without any hesitation.

Once we were done with the udon, I thanked the two sisters for dinner.

"Let me help with the dishes, Haru." I offered, to which she shook her head.

"Ah, ah, ah. You're our guest, Val. I will do the dishes! For now, just hang out with Yuri. If you know what I mean… Hehe!"

I raised an eyebrow at what she suggested but relented.

"Alright, if you need any help then let me-"

"Shhh! Now go!" The girl interjected and pushed me out to the living room.

With a sigh, I started to walk to Yuri's room.

"Gill?" I heard a voice call.

I didn't feel like turning so I said, "I'm heading to Yuri's room to see if she's there, Yuri."

Then I heard her chuckle.

Did I just…?

I turned around and saw her trying to stifle her giggles.

"Hehehe!" She tried to hold in, before letting it out.

As the joke finally hit the climax, I heard Yuri snort from laughter.

The joke wasn't even that funny, but hearing Yuri laugh is so…

Cute.

Her snorts in between just make it worthwhile.

"Come, Gill. Hehehe! We have much to discuss!" Yuri declared, now taking my hand and pulling me towards her room.

Yuri is…

She's holding my hand!

Yuri opened the door and we walked in.

At this point, she finally calmed down as she let out a relieved sigh.

"Gilliot…" She slowly muttered.

My eyes widened at what she was going to say.

Wait! Wait! Wait! is she going to-

The girl suddenly bowed in front of me.

"I'm sorry!"

Huh?!

"I'm sorry about my behavior lately! I thought I might better myself by being a little audacious, but it looks like you may not like it. I'm so sorry!" She quickly said.

It took me a couple of seconds to process exactly what she said.

Wait, what?

"And I'm so sorry for my behavior in the literature club! I… I took things too far and made things worse!"

That's it!

I need to step in!

"Yuri, calm down! You're speaking way too fast and overreacting! This isn't your fault! My temper started to spill because of-"

"Me!" She interrupted. "I stepped in and made things worse for everyone in the club! You were trying to diffuse things but it went awry when I started yelling at them!"

Well, that is true, but I stepped out of line!

"Yuri, look… at the end of the day… I yelled at you. And I don't think I can forgive myself from doing that. I couldn't stop myself from yelling at you, but when I realized what I was doing, it was too late."

There was a brief silence between us.

"But I do. I forgive you."

…

"Please, Gill. Let me apologize."

I sighed heavily.

"Fine, if you let me apologize, then I'll accept your apology."

She looked into my eyes and nodded.

"Yuri… I am sorry for yelling at you." I apologized.

"Gill… I am sorry for stepping in." She apologized.

I felt a huge weight has been lifted from my chest.

After another needed moment of silence, I piped up.

"Now, what was that about your behavior lately?" I asked, readying myself for what's next.

Yuri shifted nervously and gulped.

"Well… you know I have been behaving a little bolder?"

I nodded slowly.

"I thought you might like it if I was a bit less 'caring' of what I say… or something like that."

She is right.

I did like it a lot actually.

So much so that I want to see more of it.

"Yuri, I know deep down that you are hiding your true self. I don't know why but, whatever you did made me like it."

Her purple eyes widened at what I was saying.

"I like seeing how confident you can be, Yuri. It's just like that time back in the club. The way you stood against Monika and Natsuki for me really, really impressed me. I just want to let you know, whatever you're hiding… let me see it. I really want to see more of this side from you, Yuri."

The girl started to shake for some reason.

"Yuri? What's wrong?" I asked, walking up to her.

She then caught me in a surprise hug.

"I'll do it! I'll be more confident for you, Gill! I promise!"

I hugged her back.

"Don't do it for me, do it for yourself too Yuri. I want to see you happier."

Yuri squealed and hugged me tighter.

Woah!

I can feel her chest melting into mine!

She has to be an E cup, no doubt!

After a few moments of hugging, I released her, to which she reluctantly followed suit.

"It's been nice hanging out with you, Yuri. But I gotta go home, it's a school night tomorrow."

She frowned for a second before smiling again.

"I know. Did you call your parents ahead of time that you would be here?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Yeah, I called them. Don't worry." I said, now heading towards the door.

I opened the door to see the downpour still going at it, with little to no difference from before.

You have got to be kidding me.

*CRASH*

Thunder cracked in the sky, showing there weren't any signs that it was going to weaken any time soon.

Well…

"Hey, Yuri," I called looking towards the door.

"Hm?"

I turned around with a sheepish smile.

"Do you mind if I could sleepover for the night?"

Yuri grinned excitedly, so I knew what the answer was.

But before she could give a solid answer, my phone buzzed.

I put up a finger to let her know and proceeded to answer my phone.

The number was from Monika, to which I was very reluctant to answer.

Ugh, what does she want now?

It's growing fairly obvious that she doesn't like me the way she used to before that **day**.

With a flick, I answered the phone.

"What?" I greeted.

There was a long sigh in the background, to which I immediately grew suspicious.

"Hey…" Monika greeted back.

I tried to hold back an annoyed sigh, and it came out as an eyeroll.

"What is it this time, Monika?" I asked, trying my best to keep the conversation short.

I heard Yuri let out a deep breath, to which I snapped my head to.

She looks…

Angry.

Yuri's looks a lot like she did back in the club.

When she was done calming herself, she glared at me, or rather at the phone.

I couldn't help but flinch a little from her scowl before refocusing.

"I-I-I just want to apologize for my behavior back in the literature club."

Now it was my turn to be aggravated.

Oh, now she wants to apologize?

Especially over the phone?!

Does she really loathe me that much?!

To the point that she will insult me with a half-assed apology?!

I thought she was better than this!

"What I did was really uncalled for and-"

My body couldn't take the "apology" anymore and I had to stop the source.

"Save it."

…

"W-W-What?" She nervously muttered.

I gritted my teeth and looked towards the rain.

"I said save it," I repeated. "I don't want to hear your apology."

...

What I was saying sounded unforgiving, but it was necessary.

I just can't handle this shit anymore.

If she doesn't what me around anymore, then fine.

I'll just leave her be.

Her shitty apology is all the evidence I need to move on.

"What do you mean, Val?" She said with a great deal of confidence.

I knew better however, that this was everything she could muster for few seconds.

Any second now, she'll lose all that finesse.

"What I meant to say-"

Something in me clicked as I realized what I was about to say.

"What I meant to say is that we are done. It's clear that you don't want me around. Whatever happened that day changed you to someone I don't even recognize. And because of that, we are simply strangers to each other. I'll leave you alone from now on. I hope you'll do the same too."

No…

I can't say all that.

No matter how angry I get, I can never break my friendship with Monika.

My childhood revolved around her and cutting her off would make me lose all that.

Instead of fighting all this, I'll give her one last chance to fuck things up.

One last chance…

"I meant… to speak to me face to face. Apologizing to me over the phone is something I am not going to tolerate. And besides, we have a lot to talk about."

There was a brief pause on the other side of the phone.

"You're right… this isn't good enough and I'm sorry. We'll talk tomorrow after school in the courtyard, okay?"

I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Fine."

But before I could hang up, she said something.

"W-Wait! I looked through your balcony window and I saw that you weren't home… where are you right now?"

Argh!

She has some nerve asking me that!

Wait a minute.

"You looked through my balcony window? Ugh, whatever. I am at Yuri's house right now." I simply answered, waiting for the cue to hang up.

There was another brief pause in the background.

"I…I see. H-Have fun, I guess. Um…bye, Val."

Finally.

"Yeah." I simply replied before finally hanging up.

Once that was done, I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Did… did you make up with Monika?" She asked.

I shook my head without looking up.

"Not just yet, Yuri. We're planning to talk right after school." I answered. "I am still feeling a little disappointed with how she didn't back me up and all."

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder to which I looked up.

Yuri flinched a little at my sudden movement but kept strong.

"Are you okay, Gill?" She asked endearingly.

I smiled at her.

"I am, thank you for being patient with me on all this."

As she kept her hand on me, I gawked at her sweet and innocent little smile.

Her face radiated with a warm aura that was starting to pull me in.

Yuri's so cute whenever she smiles.

"You're welcome, Gill. I am here to support you, just as you are supporting me."

I can't hold in this weird feeling in my heart anymore!

With those words, I leaned in and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

The lavender haired girl let out a cute and surprised moan from my kiss.

**You know, if you keep this up… I just might fall for you.**

…

…

…

WAIT!

WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?!

As I snapped out of my daze, I realized Yuri looked lightheaded.

"He kissed me..." She whispered.

It was here that I was starting to panic.

"Wait, wait! Don't go out on me Yuri, I'm sorry, Yuri!"

Unfortunately, my words didn't go through to her at all.

Before she could faint, I caught her in my arms.

Oh my… she's actually pretty light given her body.

…

Why am I such a pervert?

I reluctantly looked down to see if she was alright.

I was met with something that me gasp.

Yuri's face was at peace, it had traces of stress or any frowns.

Her hair seemed to compliment her cute face further.

Everything from her body gave out this strange aura that I makes my senses go haywire.

I really, **really** want to hug her tight.

…

Yep, I was right about me going crazy.

Anyway, she managed to be this bold for a while.

I am very impressed with this.

"Good job, Yuri." I whispered to the lavender girl in my arms. "I'm proud of you."

I heard some rushed steps ahead of me.

"Onee-chan! Are you okay?!" Haru yelled while running over to us.

She didn't respond to which she started to panic.

"Calm down, Haru. Yuri fainted… she'll be fine." I answered, masking my embarrassment with a somewhat of a serious look.

"How?!"

I put up an uneasy smile and looked away from the sleeping beauty.

"I… I kissed her on the cheek," I admitted.

…

"Oh."

She closed her eyes and sighed before smiling.

"I didn't know you would be the type to be romantic, Val. Ehehehe!"

My face flushed from her compliment.

"I-I-It was from the spur of the moment! Yuri was being so sweet and-"

"Mmmm… what happened?" Yuri interrupted, finally waking up in my arms.

I looked to Haru and begged her not to tell her what happened with my eyes.

However, she only gave a mischievous smirk.

"You fainted, Yuri. But you're okay now." Haru answered, fooling my expectations.

She rubbed her head, not realizing that she was still in my arms.

"How…?" Yuri muttered.

I looked to her for some help.

"Don't sweat the details, Onee-chan. Just go back to sleep!" She answered, saving me again.

Yuri gave an adorable yawn.

"Okay." She then curled up on me and slept again.

She was tired all along, huh?

I let out a sigh and nodded toward Haru to thank her.

"Don't thank me just yet, Val. You still need to put her to bed. After all, you're planning on sleeping over right?"

How did she…

"Yeah, I am. And I guess it's the least I can do." I muttered.

Haru gave her usual smile before leading me to her room.

What have I gotten myself into?


	5. Realization(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

Seeing as the incident was cleared up, Haru made her way downstairs to finish the dishes, and I was left alone with Yuri yet again.

_What the fuck was that, Val? You're lucky she didn't realize, or our whole relationship with her would've been finished right then and there! Keep your shit together!_

While I was busy scolding myself, I realized my eyes had found their way to Yuri, who was sleeping peacefully beside me. She looked so… vulnerable when she slept. Her cute little snores added to the increasingly noticeable flutter in my heart. I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"I didn't think you'd be the snorer, Yuri," I say softly, feeling a smile tugging my face.

_Everything you do is just so cute._

I reached out and slowly caressed her hair, being careful not to wake her. I ran my hand through her long, silky hair, basking in the intoxicating smell it emitted. I just couldn't get enough of it! No matter how I explained it, it felt familiar and safe. This continued until I snapped out of my trance.

_Whoa there, me! Have some restraint! I'm being a bit too weird for my tastes._

I should probably start getting ready to go to sleep anyway. It's a school night and it's starting to get late.

I tucked Yuri in as best I could and headed downstairs. There I found Haru, who had just finished with all the dishes.

I should probably ask her where I'm going to sleep tonight...

"Hey, Haru?" I called.

"Yes, Onii-chan?" She answered sweetly.

What?

"O-Onii-Chan…?" I asked, surprised by Haru's sudden playfulness.

"Yep!" she exclaimed with a giggle. I decided to ignore it, as I was very tired and just wanted to sleep.

"Aaaanyway… can you tell me where I'm going to be sleeping?" I asked politely. "Kinda have school tomorrow."

Haru let out a small giggle. She walked up to me slowly and got a little TOO close to my face for comfort. I tried backing away, but she gripped my shirt, preventing me from doing so.

"Well… it's obvious Onii-chan! You're sleeping with… me!" she answered, giving me a playful wink.

Oh yeah, I can't wait to be an actual molester.

Before I could answer though, I was interrupted by someone else's voice.

**"Haru!"**

Immediately, Haru flinched. We both turned to the direction the voice came from. We turned, only to find a very angry, scary looking Yuri.

 **"Just...what...do you think you're doing, Haru?** " she asked through gritted teeth. I noticed her eyes looked a bit...different than usual. They were more hollowed and focused. They screamed bloody murder, and that sent a chill down my spine.

"Oh hey, Yur-" I began, but before I could finish, Haru jumped in.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Onee-chan? I'm just showing our guest where he'll be sleeping!" said Haru, before sticking out her tongue out at Yuri.

Oh boy…

"Yuri! It's all a big misunde-" was all I could say before I was interrupted again but by Yuri this time.

 **"And you! Do you think I don't know what you were doing? Keep your mouth shut! I'll deal with you later."** She growled at me.

Yuri spoke with a sadistic tone that could rival that of Monika's. It caught me off guard, but I tried to hold my ground as best I could. I opened my mouth for a snappy comeback.

Be careful not to lose it this time.

"O-Okay." I squeaked out.

What was that?!

Where's my confidence when I need it?!

Yuri started stomping her way towards us, her eyes shooting daggers at Haru. This was more than enough to scare the younger girl, or so I thought, so I gently pushed her behind me.

"Oh! Onee-chan, I was only trying-" she began, but Yuri didn't let her finish.

 **"Trying to what? To take Gill away from me? Well, I won't let you!"** She screamed. She made a mad grab for Haru, but fortunately, I was close enough and shielded her with my back.

"Yuri! Relax! Haru was only playing!" I frantically said as I turned around, trying to calm down the usually reserved girl.

The girl turned her still groggy eyes toward me and growled.

 **"Don't make your punishment worse than it already is. Let go."** Yuri said, then turning to Haru.

M-My punishment…?

 **"He. Is. Mine."** she told her.

The younger girl then slowly marched up to her sister in defiance, giving the same aura as her sister when she was serious.

"Haru, what are you doing?!" I yelled, to which she simply turned around with a small frown.

"Don't worry. I got this." She assured before facing her sister.

I guess they really are sisters.

I thought a fight would break out between the two girls, so I got ready to interfere.

My guard dropped when I saw Haru reach out to Yuri's ear, however...

She then proceeded to pull down on it. Hard.

In an instant, Yuri's eyes went back to their mellow state and woke up.

"Owwww… Haru! Stop!" The older sister whined.

"We're gonna talk about your behavior, Yuri. Come on!"

Haru then dragged her sister upstairs, out of my sight.

"Okaaaay! Just stop pinching my ear!" Yuri complained as she followed her sister.

The commotion slowly drowned out as they continued to leave the area.

…

What the **fuck** just happened?

I stayed standing there, my dumbfounded expression never leaving my face.

I was so baffled that I continued to stand there like an idiot until Haru came back downstairs. She seemed surprised that I was standing there until she remembered what had happened a few moments ago.

"Uh…?" she walked up to me and snapped her fingers at my face.

"What are you doing?"

"Care to explain what the hell I just witnessed?" I replied.

"Easy. Yuri always gets a bit grumpy whenever she wakes up. Happens all the time. It also didn't help that she thought I was trying to hit on you, so that's why she acted like that." Haru simply stated.

"I-I see. Wait, why did it bother her that you were hitting on me?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Alright, let's get this clear, Onii-chan. I wasn't hitting on you. I just needed to get on your good side."

What?

"By suggesting I sleep with you?" I pointed out.

The younger sister's face flushed a bright red before looking away.

"W-What? N-No! I was only playing!" She sputtered out.

"Besides…" she continued with the trademark Ikeda smile.

"I hate to break it to you, but my heart belongs to someone else." she said, carrying a dreamy expression.

When she said that, I clutched my chest and feigned sadness.

"Is that so? Oh wow! My poor, poor heart...I don't think I'll ever get past this heartbreak!" I said sarcastically.

"Really?" she asked enthusiastically.

I stared at her with deadpan eyes.

"No, you idiot. I was only kidding, Haru… Jeez, I'm not trying to catch a case here!" I exclaimed.

"Catch...a case…?" she replied, seemingly confused by what I said.

I let out a small laugh.

"Just forget it."

After a brief moment of silence, she piped up.

"Aren't you going to ask who it is?" Haru pouted.

I simply shrugged from her pout, thanking my experience with Monika's own pouts.

"Well, I kinda figured you'd tell me whether I asked or not." I admitted, giving her a nervous laugh. Her face turned beet red when I said that.

"Hmph! Know it all…" she mumbled.

I smirked at the turn of events.

"So who is it?" I asked, now genuinely curious about who was the subject of this rather interesting girl's affection.

It's probably gonna be someone I don't know very-

"It's your brother," she said nonchalantly.

…

Huh?

My… brother?

"You mean… Michael? Like my own brother?" I asked, not sure how she knew that we were related at all.

"Yep!" Haru exclaimed proudly.

It took a little while to process the information.

Given my brother's strange and new cold approach to everything, I thought he would the least likable candidate for romance...

"And can I ask how you know him?" I asked her.

She puffed out her chest proudly.

"We're like, best friends. Has he not talked about me at all?" She questioned, looking confused.

I shook my head.

"Not at all. Not that I remember, anyway." I answered.

Suddenly, a dark expression crossed Haru's face.

"Oh reeaally? When I see him, I think I'll ask him why he hasn't talked about me at all," She said in a sadistically sweet tone.

Kind of reminds me of a certain person…

"Anyway! I need your help, Onii-chan." She said immediately after.

"With what?" I asked, not wanting to accept anything I didn't know of.

She took a deep breath and let it out.

"I want you to help me out with Mike," she said, her face full of determination.

Oh ho ho!

"How so?" I asked, with a small smirk.

"Y'know! Help me out! It's just that he's so DENSE all the time! I can't stand it!" she started ranting.

My smirk grew at her rant.

"To be fair, I don't think he's really interested in romance. All he does at home is play video games, watch Western shows, or even read Western comics as you know… a typical teen would?"

She pouted and growled adorably.

"I don't care! There has to be some spark in him! I was actually able to ask him if he wanted a kiss and you know what he said? He said 'No thanks, I don't like chocolate'. Can you believe that!?"

Seeing Haru's despair as well as hearing about my brother's obliviousness was enough to elicit a laugh out of me. Despite its comedic value, however, I tried to console her.

"Hahaha! I did tell him that chocolates could give him acne and make him fat, sooo…" I mentioned.

The younger girl radiated a dark aura around her, with her long purple hair flowing with it.

"Um yeah, some people just don't see what's right in front of them. It's pretty sad." I said, trying to not get on her bad side.

Fortunately, she calmed down.

"Like you're in any position to say that…" Haru mumbled.

"What?" I asked.

"What?" She asked.

Haru shook her head and looked into my eyes.

"Point is...can you help me?"

Haru clasped her hands together and put them over her head.

I couldn't help but find this situation amusing.

Being a wingman for Yuri's sister.

"Sure, I'll do my best, ki-"

Before I could finish though, I was met with a tackle and flurry of Thank Yous.

I let out a laugh.

Aw! She's like the little sister I never had!

To seal the deal, I patted her head.

"It's gonna be a bit difficult to get a teen that has absolutely no interest in romance, but I will try."

She was still latched onto me even after I said that.

"Why doesn't he have any interest, Onii-chan...?" She asked, poking her head out to me.

Haru had this pout that made my heart melt.

Agh!

My heart!

I frowned from my incoming answer.

"It's because of me really. I told him at a young age to avoid romances at all costs since it's a distraction to studies and all." I slowly started.

Haru's eyes flickered as I said all this, showing the same resemblance her sister's crazed state.

"I-I mean!" I quickly followed up. "That was me from a long, long time ago. I now have a different opinion on romance as a whole. I am sure I can do something." I assured.

With that, the younger sister smiled and hugged me again.

"I hope you can." She muttered.

We stayed like this for a little while before I broke the ice.

"Now can you show me where I'm sleeping please?"

Haru jolted from my arms and shook her head.

"Oh, right!" She sputtered, now aware of the situation. "Come with me. I'll show you."

With a nod, I followed the girl to my resting place.

It didn't take long actually, as she simply walked over to Yuri's room and opened the door.

"You'll be sleeping here!" She proudly declared with a sweet smile.

Uh oh…

"Sleeping in the same room as Yuri's…?" I asked naively.

Yuri's scent is coated all over this room!

I don't know if I can get a grip staying in this room at all!

"Yep!" Haru answered.

Shit!

Do I want to sleep next to a **beautiful** girl like Yuri?

The aroma visualized Yuri's sleeping figure, with her purple hair, eyes, and a small smile.

She's so…

Argh!

Yeah, I am not sleeping here!

"Haru, I am not sleeping in the same room as Yuri." I simply stated.

She turned to me with a perplexed look.

"Huh? Why not? I thought you wanted to sleep with your girlfriend!"

I gave her a mild glare as I blushed from her words.

"She's not my girlfriend, Haru! You know that already!"

The girl gave me a toothy smile as a result.

"I know! I thought you would want to sleep with her since you know…" She went on.

I stared at her as if expecting a complete sentence but she sighed.

"Look, Val. I trust you that you won't do anything funny to Onee-chan. You're Mike's older brother after all, and you are a very big influence on him, whether you know it or not. So it's okay, I understand about anything wrong with sleeping in a girl's room."

I frowned at this.

"Thanks for trusting me, Haru. But as a visitor, let me sleep on the couch. I will do fine, I promise. Besides, if I do sleep near Yuri, I think she might have a panic attack when she wakes up. I don't want that to happen."

Obviously, that isn't necessarily the case but…

It doesn't hurt to be too careful.

Haru searched my eyes for any hesitations but ultimately nodded when she couldn't find any.

"Ok. The sofa should have some pillows for you to sleep on. But if you do change your mind, don't hesitate to come to this room. I am sure Onee-chan won't really mind that much."

I nodded and took my leave.

As I walked towards the sofa, thoughts of how strange Yuri was rushed towards me.

Her teeth… eyes… that deranged aura…

What happened to Yuri?

My mind focused primarily on her eyes.

They were hollowed out and focused, nothing like their usual mellow selves.

It looked almost… obsessive.

They were hostile to everything around her.

Also, what happened to her voice?

Never in my life did I expect Yuri to speak like Monika when she is enraged.

She was talking about how I was hers and no one else's.

What does that even mean?!

Fortunately, Haru took care of the situation by just yanking her ear.

Why did she do all that?

I know she woke all "grumpy" but still…

Something's up, but what?

Could it be?

Does Yuri have a-

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

My phone quietly rang, to which I pulled out.

It's a group call from the guys.

I pulled out my earbuds and inserted them in before answering the call.

"Hey boys." I greeted, now plopping onto the sofa.

They all gave their greetings back to me and we started talking.

"So we out tomorrow?" I asked, after a brief lull in the conversation.

"Of course, and it's gonna be great!" Hiro exclaimed.

"So right after the gym, we are gonna head to the arcade to try out that new VR system right?" Dan asked.

Tom snickered at him.

"Yeah, try not to 'think' too much while playing. We all see where that got you."

Right, Dan's "thinking" in video games is horrendous.

"Nah, Nah, you wouldn't understand the plays I make. The inputs I put are very advanced so they don't much sense to you guys." He defended jokingly.

I smiled at what he was saying

"Inputs as in… running to an exploding vehicle so you can escape a firefight?" I mentioned.

"Well, yeah. That's how it is! It's all 4-D chess play, and you wouldn't understand it, Val!"

We all shared a laugh from how stupid his claims were.

"Anyway… It was pouring outside, I got home wet!" Hiro lamented.

"Yeah same here, I thought it would be sunny today but obviously not," Dan added.

Tom then piped in.

"Sayori and I shared an umbrella-"

I knew what was going to happen, so at the same time the three of us immediately went "Ooooh!"

He grunted as a result.

"What? What's wrong with sharing an umbrella?!" Tom asked irritatedly.

I knew they were smirking behind their screens.

"I don't know, maybe it's because you were sharing it with a girl you know!" Dan snarkily replied.

It's good to hear Dan's voice after he got out of that abusive relationship.

We should really talk to him about it so he can feel better.

"Val, come on. You know it ain't like that!" Tom said to me.

I shrugged at the statement.

"I dunno… it sounds like you two are making some moves…" I teased.

We heard him scoff at me.

"Traitor. Because of that, I am gonna spill the beans. Don't think we didn't see you walk with Yuri under an umbrella too!"

All the color my face vanished when he said all that.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa wait! Val hanging out with another girl? What happened to The Famous Couple of Lotus?" Hiro asked.

Damn you, Hilltop!

"What are you talking about? There's no Famous Couple of Lotus!" I countered, hoping to steer the subject away from Yuri.

"Oh yeah, that's true. Now that I realize it, there was no Famous Couple back in middle school. Weird, but what's this about you hanging around a girl, Val? I thought Monika and you were pretty tight back then." Dan pressed.

I groaned from the number of questions being pressed against me.

"That was a long time ago. Look, I just needed to give Yuri her bag. She left it in the literature club today, and it was raining so I walked her home."

As I was talking, I failed to notice a slender figure walking up to my right.

"Sounds pretty romantic, don't you think?" Hiro pointed out. "Not to mention, it's raining pretty hard right now…"

I frowned once more.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I am gonna catch up on- Huh?"

I looked to my side to see a girl standing right next to me.

Her purple hair flowed down her back, meaning that it was-

Yuri?!

She looked tired and very sleep deprived, making me very worried.

"Yuri? Is there something wrong?" I asked, quickly forgetting that the boys could hear me.

"Yuri?!" They yelled in shock. I ignored them, still focusing on Yuri's tired state.

Without much of a warning, she climbed up the sofa and crawled up to me.

Uh… What's going on?!

The girl rested her head on my chest and cooed.

"Gill…"

My face burned up from both her cute coo and how she crawled up to me.

"Val, where the fuck are you?!" They all yelled.

"I'll talk to you guys tomorrow." I quickly cut off, hanging up on them.

I diverted my attention to the girl sleeping on my chest, her body heaving up and down from little snores she let out.

As much I want her off me…

I can't…

"Yuri… Yuri… wake up. You're sleeping on top of me." I sweetly and quietly called.

She only mumbled something before snoring again.

My nose picked up on her scent once more, making my mind feel hazy.

Oh no…

I need to get her off fast!

Without much thought, I placed my hands to her sides to which she quietly moaned in response.

"Mmm…"

Her moan tickled my heart, stopping in my tracks.

I felt her legs curl up against mine, restricting my movement almost completely.

"Gill… you're so warm." She muttered.

Yeah, it's because you're cuddling me.

Wait, is she awake?

"Yuri," I called one last time, hoping she would wake up.

The girl finally woke up to my calls.

"Yes?" She replied, exhausted.

Yuri looks exhausted…

She woke up about two or three times right now, and pushing her back to her room will just worsen her condition.

So what should I do…?

Her purple eyes weren't as mellow as I hoped to be.

They were tired, weak, and shallow.

And it kind of hurt.

"Nothing," I said, mustering my courage. "Goodnight, Yuri."

She closed her eyes and rested her head on my chest again, this time with a smile.

"Goodnight, Gill."

* * *

I woke up with my head against something hard, yet warm and comfortable.

Not to mention something poking my butt…

I let out a small yawn and stretched my body.

My eyes slowly filled up with the vision of Gill in front of me.

I blinked a couple of times to register what I was seeing in front of me.

…

Oh.

…

OH.

My mind and body froze at what I was starting to realize.

I felt my face starting to catch fire with what's in front of me.

W-W-W-What's going on?!

Why am I sleeping on Gill?!

How did I get here?!

I didn't realize how much I was fidgeting, and it woke him up.

My crush yawned a little and stretched to wake himself up.

I panicked and looked for a way to get myself out of the situation as fast as possible, but I couldn't find any way to escape.

His onyx black eyes opened, and I saw my reflection in them.

Instead of panicking like I did, he smiled warmly in my presence.

"(Mornin', Yuri.)" He greeted in Russian.

I couldn't help but greet back.

"(Good morning, Gill.)" I greeted back.

There was split-second of bliss between us before I realized the situation.

But before I could let out a tangent of apologies and excuses, he put his finger on my lips.

"Before you ask, Yuri… you came here out of your accord. Not to mention you woke up twice last night before coming here, so I decided that I should let you sleep instead of waking you up for a third time." He explained in an almost nonchalant manner.

Oh, so I did come here.

But everything seems so hazy…

Not to mention that he seems so calm right now…

It's hot.

"I… I see. Thank you for being so considerate, Gill. I have a feeling guys your age would have... taken advantage of a helpless girl. I'm… I'm glad you're better than that." I muttered.

His smile brightened from my words.

"Yuri, I am not a teenager anymore, I have a much stronger grip with my hormones and all. Don't worry." He stated with a cunning smile.

As he said all that, the poking on my butt grew much more obnoxious.

I wasn't sure what it was, so I dove my hand near it and poked it.

"Huh?!" Val let out.

What even is this?

I prodded the pointy object and tried to understand what exactly it was.

This object feels… hard and warm.

"Yuri!" I heard him call.

It is also much larger than my hand if I try to hold it.

What if I-

But before I can get a better feel of what the object is, I felt my hand gripped by Gill's.

My face flushed when he held my hand.

But I was confused when he was trying to look away with a red face.

It wasn't out timidness that he looked away, rather it was because of something else.

"Gill? Is there something wrong?" I asked.

He nodded slowly.

"You're touching my rod, Yuri."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Rod? What's your rod?" I asked, not making any effort to hide my confusion.

His lips quivered at my cluelessness.

"M-My morning wood."

Eh?

Morning wood…?

…

…

…

Oh.

That was-

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I quickly sputtered out, as I realized what exactly I was touching.

Gill simply put up a hand and waved dismissively.

"Don't worry too much about it, Yuri. It's totally fine." He accepted while looking away. "This totally woke me up, so that's good."

Our faces were actually on fire from what I did.

I can't believe it…

I actually touched him without knowing what it was!

What's wrong with me?

**Well… it's pretty impressive-**

No!

Bad Yuri!

I can't even begin to think about how perverted that is!

Now I can't even look at him in the eye!

We continued to silently berate ourselves before we mustered the confidence to look at each other in the eye again.

But as our gaze met each other, we quickly looked away.

This continued for a bit until someone gasped on our side.

We turned our attention to the bystander.

Haru?!

"Well, well, well! I didn't know that you two would actually go that far! I am very impressed, Onee-chan! As for you Val, good job!" Haru applauded with a grin.

Our faces burned again, but this time I had enough.

"Haru! We didn't indulge in any sexual activities! I only came here so I could sleep more comfortably!" I yelled, irritated by the embarrassment of being tossed around.

My little twin sister was taken aback by my yell but smirked at me.

"Oh, that's a shame really. Oh well, breakfast is ready! I'm off to school, so see ya!" Haru quickly said, leaving us alone just fast she entered the scene.

But before she could leave our home, she poked her head out.

"Don't mind me, you guys could have another round while I am gone! Ahahaha!"

She closed the door soon after, grinning at my blushing face.

* * *

Jeez, what an awkward morning.

Yuri and I were currently walking to school, albeit with an awkward atmosphere around us.

I honestly hoped that Yuri would sleep a little longer in my arms…

But she started to shift around and I got a little worried that she would freak out while I was still holding her…

I really didn't want to give away the fact that I was awake.

Something about holding her close to me… I just really wanted to protect her.

It's like I want her by my side all the time, hold her, squeeze her, and let her know that I want to be around her all the time.

Does that sound weird?

My mind says it is, but my heart doesn't.

Why is my heart saying otherwise?

"Gill?" I heard her call anxiously.

I turned to her with a small smile.

"Yeah, what's up?"

She slowed down enough to face me, to which I followed suit.

I raised an eyebrow expectantly, waiting for her to say something.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized while bowing.

…

Huh?

"What for? Why are you apologizing?" I asked, confused out of my mind.

It's probably because of this morning, you moron.

"I'm sorry for all the inconveniences this morning!"

See?

Some passersby were puzzled from the scene Yuri was creating, causing my face to burn with embarrassment.

"I apologize for my sister's behavior, I apologize for how I crawled up to you last night, and I am sorry for touching your-"

"Alright, alright, alright! I get it! Sheesh! It's okay, Yuri. I forgive you, it's nothing to worry about! Forgive and forget!" I hurriedly forgave, now feeling the stares around us. "So please, don't let it affect you. I completely understand!"

Yuri looked somewhat flustered from my sudden forgiveness, but she smiled right after.

"Thank you so much." She whispered, before hugging me.

My face now burned from the hug, not because of how much of a scene we were making.

It was because of something in my heart that I couldn't quite explain.

This feeling…

It's warm and ticklish.

What is it?

"Look at that, a couple!"

"Aww, that's cute!"

"Public shows of affection are taboo here, but this has to be an exception."

This immediately woke me up, so I gently pushed Yuri off of me.

She looked disappointed when I pulled away.

The frown she had hurt me.

I felt her frown pain my warmed, tickled heart. Instantly, I knew I needed to replace her saddened expression.

"Come on, Yuri. We'll be late if we don't hurry." I timidly said, not looking directly at her eyes.

Her frown mellowed to a cute smile.

"Okay."

This feels a lot like how Monika forgave me yesterday.

Yuri then took my hand and we started walking.

My face burned up as I realized what my hand was holding, and the warm feeling in my heart intensified as I stared at our hands intertwined.

"Y-Y-Yuri! You're holding my hand!"

She raised an eyebrow at our hand holding.

"Uh? Yes, I am. Is there a problem?" She asked innocently.

I looked around to see if anyone was looking, but instead, I saw no one.

"N-N-No… it's okay." I muttered.

Why can't I speak up?!

It's like all my confidence washed away!

"Very well! Let's continue walking, shall we?"

I only responded with a meek nod.

We continued to walk to school in relative peace, with me hoping that no one would see us holding hands.

I-Isn't hand holding something a couple would do?

I mean sure, I did it with Monika all the time, but she's like the sister I never had, so…

But with Yuri, this feels completely different!

Oh man… I just don't feel right.

She even smells exactly like last night, and it's making my senses go on the fritz!

"I like this, Gill." Yuri suddenly said.

I turned to her with a small blush covering my cheeks.

"I like how close we have gotten in the last couple of days. I feel as if I can trust you with anything. Any problems I have, you seem to be interested in helping solve it."

What is she saying…?

"Y-Yuri, I am your friend. I will listen to your problems, no matter how insignificant or significant it may be. Because at the end of the day, I want to see you smile."

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

This sounds totally wrong!

I want to see her smile?!

…

Well yeah, I kind of do want to see her smile.

But it sounds so weird!

"Thank you. I'm… I'm glad that you're a friend, Gill. I really, really appreciate it."

Any strange thoughts I had were suppressed when I realized what Yuri was trying to say.

"You're welcome, Yuri. Anytime."

With that, I was able to walk with a clear mind.

And not to mention, Yuri's scent doesn't bother me as much anymore.

We walked together, hand in hand until we reached the school to which we separated.

I felt something leave me when our hand holding ended, but I shrugged it off as my body being weird.

Yuri and I needed to part ways for the time being, so we gave each other our farewells.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Yuri." I said, taking a few steps back.

She raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Wait, tomorrow? Aren't we going to walk home?" She asked.

I gave her a small smile from how excited I was for my plans.

"Well, I am gonna hang out with the guys today and have some fun. So sorry about that."

She let out a relieved breath of air and smiled back.

"Oh, in that case have fun."

Yuri took a few steps back, with her hands behind her back.

Our eyes locked as we grew further apart.

"Goodbye, Gill!" She said cheerily, before elegantly turning around.

Yuri's galaxy purple hair fluttered all around her, mesmerizing me in her beauty.

She's so hot…

Goddamnit!

In the corner of my eye, I saw Hiro with his back against the wall, nodding at me approvingly.

Across from him was Dan, also nodding at me.

Finally, Tom put his hand on my shoulder and nodded at me as well.

I couldn't help but nod back.

"Why the heck are you nodding so much?" A girl asked behind me.

I turned around to see Natsuki holding a small box.

"Here."

She then handed me the box while looking away with a blush covering her cheeks.

"What's this for?" I asked, clueless about the box.

The girl's blush intensified as a result and she looked away.

"It's because I'm sorry for how I treated in the literature club. I realized how mean I was and how much I looked like bitch. So I… made some cookies for you." She slowly said.

I smiled and bowed to her.

"Thank you, Natsuki. For apologizing and giving me this. I forgive you."

She closed her eyes and let out a relieved sigh.

"Yeah, that feels a lot better." The petite girl muttered before opening her eyes with a small toothy smile. "You better eat those cookies, Val. Or else."

And with that she took her leave by skipping towards class.

I looked around to see the boys nodding with a bigger grin on.

I guess that's a win?

After all that, I finally headed to class.

The rest of the day was uneventful, until we got to lunch. As usual, I went to sit with the boys, only to find that they were sitting with the rest of the literature club.

Why are they sitting there all of a sudden?

I approached the table, and exchanged greetings with everyone else.

"Mind if I sit down with you guys?" I asked.

"Not at all! Go ahead, Val!" exclaimed Sayori, in her usual, bubbly fashion.

I'm glad to see she's okay.

Everyone else nodded or grunted in agreement. I sat down next to Dan, and nudged him.

"Since when do you guys sit here?" I asked casually.

"Well, we actually came because of Tom. He couldn't stop talking about Sayori, so we decided to drag him over here. We just kinda stayed after." he replied.

"Awww. You can't live without Sayori, can you Tom?" I teased. He simply rolled his eyes as a result of his flustered state.

"He says 'No'." Sayori answered.

"Hah! No shit!" Dan added.

We all shared a laugh.

This is nice. Just spending time with friends. I wish I could do this more often, instead of always having some drama in the Literature Club.

"The real question is, where the hell were you yesterday, man?" asked Hiro.

The boys murmured in agreement. The girls turned their attention to me. At this point, I couldn't help but turn red at the thought of what had happened last night and this morning.

Fuck!

I should have at least called them to let them know of the situation!

Now how are the other girls gonna take this?!

"At home." I blatantly lied.

I wasn't going to give up what had happened yesterday and today so easily.

"Oh really?" asked Hiro.

"Because I could have sworn you were talking to Yuri at 12:00 IN THE MORNING!" Tom pointed out, obviously relieved that the attention was no longer on him.

Now all the girls in the table were staring at me wide-eyed, to which I gave him a warning glare.

Damn you Tom. You better bet I'm going to get you back for this.

"No way! You were at Yuri's house last night!?" exclaimed Sayori, clearly surprised by the revelation.

Natsuki looked as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing, and was uncharacteristically silent.

Monika hadn't said a word too. She simply sat there picking at her food. Since she already knew, she wasn't surprised. But she wore a serious, yet troubled expression.

"Wow! Are you going to take that, Monika?" Sayori instigated playfully.

"..."

Monika just stayed quiet, leaving an uncomfortable silence.

"A-Anyway! What were you doing at Yuri's at 12 in the morning, you perv?" Natsuki asked, struggling to keep a strong glare.

Keep calm me, I just need to keep the perfect poker face.

"Nothing." I hastily replied. This only made the rest of my friends push me further though.

"Really? Because I remember hearing Yuri softly call out, and I quote: 'Gill'!" added Dan.

"Gill?" asked both Hiro and Tom, not recognizing the name.

"W-What?" Monika finally said. She looked like she had been slapped across the face.

That almost broke my poker face.

"Guys, now is not the time to talk about this! I'll talk to you guys privately about it!" I shouted at them. My patience was starting to run thin.

"Alright, fine! But dude, we were worried about you! I mean-" began Dan, but abruptly stopped. He was looking directly in front of him. We all turned to see Yuri walking towards us.

"Just drop it for now, okay? I get it!" I hissed at everyone.

"Hello everyone. I hope you don't mind if I sit here?" she asked, motioning the table.

Hiro put up a hand up for me, as if understanding the situation well.

"Not at all! You came at just the right time! Come sit!" exclaimed Hiro, throwing Yuri off-guard with the sudden hospitality.

He gave me a nod, to which I nodded back.

"O-Okay…"

She proceeded to sit next to me, giving me a warm smile. I returned the smile and scooted over.

"Now, what were you and Val do-?" asked Natsuki, cutting right to the chase.

"Natsuki, Val said he's gonna tell us later. Cut him some slack." Tom interrupted, keeping a serious face.

"I don't care! What did you two do last night?!" She continued.

There's something really off about why she's even asking that in the first place...

I let out an annoyed sigh.

Oh boy.

"Nothing happened, if that's what you're asking. He just slept over." Yuri answered nonchalantly.

The group let out a collective gasp.

"WHAT?"

Really Yuri? Out of all the times for you to be bold.

"Okay, chill! There's a good reason why Val had to sleep over, I am sure of it. He's not the type of guy to take advantage of girls!" Dan defended, nodding at me.

As always, he finds a way to redeem himself.

Thanks dude.

The two girls erupted with questions, however Monika just got up and simply walked away. She threw away her trash, and left the lunch area. Immediately after, the bell rang and we all left for class.

"I'm not finished yet, Val!" I heard Natsuki yell.

Suddenly, I felt a tug at my sleeve. I turned to see who it was. It was none other than Yuri.

"Yeah? What's up, Yuri?" I asked.

"I-I'm sorry!" She apologized.

"Whoa, what for?" I asked, surprised by the sudden apology.

"I should have confirmed that it was okay for me to tell them that you stayed over at my house! It was a breach of privacy, and for that, I'm sorry!" She explained.

"Haha, you just saved me the trouble of telling them myself. So thanks for that, also there's no need to apologize. I completely understand, so don't beat yourself up okay?" I consoled.

"I-If you say so…" she responded, fixing her composure.

"See you later then, Yuri" I said, turning and beginning to make my way to class.

Then I felt another tug at my sleeve.

"Wait! One more thing!" she exclaimed.

"What's up?"

"I-I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me after school..." she murmured, blushing fiercely.

Whoa.

What's got her so worked up?

"Yeah, sure. Where though?" I asked.

"The girls on the swim team asked me if I could find someone to sub in for a member that's absent. Could you please help me?" she answered, still blushing and avoiding eye contact.

"Sure. It's been a while since I last swam, so it'll be fun! See you after school then." I shrugged.

"Really?" she asked.

"I don't see why not." I replied.

Suddenly, I was met with a warm sensation around my body. I looked down to find Yuri hugging me.

"Thank you." was all she said. She let go and started to walk away.

I gave her a small nod as a farewell.

"I'll see you later then, Gill~," She said with a wink.

"O-Of course." was all I could say.

I was left there in a trance before remembering that I had class. I looked around and saw only a few students were left in the hallway at this point.

C'mon Val! Gotta keep it together!

But since when was Yuri so… flirty?

Arghhh!

I hurried over to class.

Hopefully, nothing happens for the rest of the day…

And I hope those weird thoughts don't clog up my system.

Once the last period started, I couldn't really pay attention to anything the teacher was saying.

But somehow, it went by in a flash and I found myself packing up to head over to the swim club.

As I left the classroom, I saw Monika to my side.

I mentally sighed and looked over to her.

She shyly looked up to me and then looked away.

Oh yeah, right… the apology.

But before I spoke she cut me to it.

"L-Let's go around the back of the school, so I can apologize.."

I nodded in response and followed out of school.

Because of my years spent with Monika, I knew she was bothered by something.

It can't be apologizing, there's something way off about her.

Just what can it be?

As we walked out of the hallway, the surrounding students started to whisper around us.

"Hey it's the Sweetheart, what's she doing with that guy?"

"I don't know, but she can't be confessing to him right?"

"Hah! I doubt it! She has high standards for sure!"

I rolled my eyes from the rumors being spouted about.

After a few minutes of walking outside, we finally turned towards a secluded corner.

She finally stopped walking and turned around.

Without a moment's hesitation, she bowed.

"I'm sorry!" My childhood friend exclaimed.

I closed my eyes and sighed, knowing I had to bury the hatchet sooner or later.

"It's fine, Monika. Just don't do it again." I simply said, before turning my heel to leave.

That's it right?

She obviously doesn't want me around anyway.

The way she just left when Yuri arrived proves everything.

"Wait!" Monika yelled, causing me to stop in my tracks.

What the Hell is it now?

I thought we were done!

"I… I know you're still angry at me. I know I've been so mean to you ever since we met up, and I know you tried to be the same Val from four years ago. So, please… I am sorry. I really am. Just tell me why you're so angry! I'll do anything to fix our relationship!"

She wants to fix things huh?

…

I **have** been pretty immature now that I think about it.

With a deep breath, I turned around.

But as soon as I met her eyes, I felt angry.

"What's your deal, Monika? Why did you leave without calling me? And why the fuck are you being a bitch to me ever since you came back?! I tried being nice to you and try to help you with adjusting, but instead, you treated me like shit! What's your deal?! What happened to the Monika four years ago? To **my** Monika!?" I yelled, pouring out all my frustrations to her.

At this point, her almost non-existent confidence was finally shattered.

Her tears stained the ground we were at.

And from there, I knew I messed up.

She covered her face and cried.

I immediately walked up to her and hugged her, only for her to push me away.

"I-I-It's because you never rescued me you, idiot! I thought you come back to me and save me from my dad! You never came and you never answered me! I loved you, Val! And you never came back! That's why I hated you!" she screamed.

Everything around me started to blur out.

Monika…

Loves me?

"Why didn't you pick up, Val?! Why didn't you hear me call your name?!" She cried, her voice decimated by her sobs.

I can't stand her crying!

No!

I gave her a desperate hug.

"You never called me! You never texted me! I thought you were the one to betray me! That's why I was so angry at you!" I answered.

Wait.

Did she call for me?

"And when you did call out my name? I… I don't remember that all."

Monika started to calm down at this point but was still crying.

"When you didn't pick up, I ran out and found you at the park with your new friends… I t-tripped and called for you, but you never heard me…"

I simply shook my head.

"I never heard from you. Again, I never got the calls." I repeated, now pulling my phone to show her.

She saw as I scrolled through my phone to the date where she left.

After handing my phone to her, I watched her emerald eyes search the screen.

Monika then handed my phone back.

"I… I see. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened that day, but now I believe you. And also... "

She looked up and smiled bittersweetly.

"I know you don't return my feelings, right?"

…

I could only shake my head.

"I'm… sorry. I don't have feelings for you, Monika." I slowly admitted, knowing that it would hurt her.

Her smile only grew brighter, to which I knew she was trying her best to hide her feelings.

"It's okay. I knew this would always happen. Ever since I fell in love with you when we were kids, deep down I knew you would never return my feelings."

She laughed, but I knew it was completely fake.

"So… who's the lucky girl? Is it Yuri?"

My eyes widened when she said her name.

"I… I don't know."

If it isn't Yuri, then who is it?

Why don't I know who I have feelings for?

She giggled again.

"Well, the way you two look at each other speaks volumes."

Monika walked past me, leaving behind a sense of despair in her wake.

"Mon." I called out to her, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I… I forgive you for everything. And cheer up, I'm sure you'll fall in love with someone else, okay? You're an amazing person and deserve someone just as wonderful as you."

She shook her head and turned to me with a fake smile.

"Thank you. But Val, I fell in love with you, I was convinced that you would be my Darling and soulmate. I don't think I will fall in love with anyone but you. No matter how long you spend with Yuri, and when you eventually forget about me, just know that I will support you and love you for the rest of my life."

She closed her eyes and beamed at me.

"But don't worry about me, Val. I was a coward and now I'm paying for it. I'll be fine."

And with that, she turned around and started to sprint away from the scene, no, from me.

I was speechless from what just happened.

All this time…

She was in love with me.

What's wrong with me?

I put my back against the wall and sat down, defeated.

She's hurt because of me.

And she was hurt before.

Why is this happening to me?

…

I hurt her.

What can I do?

I can't tell her that I don't feel anything for Yuri.

My heart tells me there is something up when I'm around the girl.

I looked up at the sky and gazed at the flowing clouds for an answer.

There was one specific cloud that stood out to me.

It was elegant from the rest, but looked timid and modest.

Yuri.

Her presence makes my heart jump with joy.

But I don't feel anything fluttery with Monika, like how I am around with Yuri.

So that means…

I am in love with Yuri.

And this time…

I will make the first move.

But I wish…

There was a way that I could make Monika happy.

Is there a world where I fell in love with Monika instead?

No…

No matter how much I pity Monika, I have to stay true to my feelings.

Otherwise it will hurt us both even more.

Maybe all I can do is give her time.

I can only pray that she'll move on.

Now thinking back on it, there's this strange sensation that gives me a strong reason to protect Yuri.

It's an old feeling, even older than my time with Monika.

And with that feeling I feel regret.

But why?

Why do I regret not being able to protect Yuri?

I don't remember anything like that happening just yet…

Maybe time will tell.

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur, most likely because of my eagerness towards after school.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

Okay Yuri, try not to come off too strong this time.

When school finally ended, I waited near the pool entrance for Gill. When he showed up, I gave him a smile, which he returned, however nervously. His posture was different than usual. Instead of radiating confidence, it gave off a nervous vibe.

"Hello, Gill. How was the rest of your day?" I asked.

"I-It was alright. I just had a word with Monika, so I don't feel so hot." He replied, seemingly exhausted.

My eyes widened slightly.

"Oh. Did she apologize to you? Is everything okay?" I hurriedly asked.

Gill nodded slowly.

"I'm fine, Yuri. It was just a bunch of misunderstandings. That's what seemed to be plaguing our relationship, really…" He muttered with a smile.

I knew something was really off with his smile, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"Um… If you're tired, you don't have to swim, Gill. Please don't feel obligated to do so. We can always just get someone else." I assured.

"Nah, it's fine! Honestly, I've been looking forward to it since you told me. It might be a great opportunity to relax!" He beamed.

He's...been looking forward to it?

"W-Well, if you say so. Just make sure not to overwork yourself please." I told him, and with that, we made our way to the pool. Once there, he turned to look at me.

"Hey Yuri?" he asked.

"Yes? What is it, Gill?" I answered.

"I don't have anything I'd be able to use in the pool." he responded. He motioned his legs.

He's right. Now what?

…

Ah.

"Why don't we see if the boy's swimming team have anything to spare? I'm sure they must be prepared for these types of situations." I suggested.

Wait…

That club will be filled with half naked men!

Uwaah! I hope I don't have to come with-

"Ah! You're right. I should've known. Good thinking." He realized, grabbing my hand. "Come on, Yuri."

I felt my head combust from my actions, steam now radiating from the top of my head.

"Eh? Is there something wrong?" He sweetly asked.

The world was starting to spin somewhat but I managed to come back to reality.

"I'm fine…" I whispered.

He chuckled.

"You can be so cute, Yuri." He whispered back with a warm smile.

My knees almost gave out when I heard Gill speak. I felt like fainting.

We continued to make our way towards the boy's pool. It was fortunately empty save for a few members. When we reached it, we were greeted by the swim team, along with their apparent instructor.

"Mr. Bisenberg?" asked Gill, wearing a shocked expression.

The man in question was rather burly, and gave an intimidating aura. He obviously worked out consistently.

"Ah! Val! What brings you here? Here to try out for the swim team? I'm afraid tryouts are over, son." He said, clapping Gill on the shoulder. He seemed happy to see him.

"No, sir. I'm simply here to fill out an empty spot on the girl's team. You know, show 'em how it's done for the day." Gill jokingly answered. Despite the man's intimidating demeanor, he was unfazed, and seemed equally as happy to see him.

"Oh really? Since you're a senior and one of my favorite soldiers, I can approve. But first, show me what you've got, Private. I need to see how much you can show off." Mr. Bisenberg told him.

"Uh, I'm afraid I don't have anything to use as swimwear, sir. I was hoping the team would have a spare set of swim trunks, or something I could use?" Gill replied.

Mr. Bisenberg turned to the changing rooms.

"I think there's some in the changing room. Get yourself a pair and change into them. On the double, soldier!" He barked.

"Sir!" replied Gill, as he hastily made his way towards the changing room. I watched him disappear behind the door.

"And who might you be, young lady? Are ya from the girl's swimming team?" asked Mr. Bisenberg, turning his attention towards me. His intimidating demeanor had returned, and it put me off.

"H-Hello. I'm Yuri Anastasiya Ikeda. N-Nice to meet you, sir. And yes, I'm from that swimming team." I answered nervously, offering a handshake, which he firmly returned.

"That's good to know. I heard that you were the captain of the swimming team in Ainu Academy. Very impressive really. Now, let me ask you, Miss Ikeda…" he said, lowering his voice to a whisper and glancing at the changing rooms.

"How long have you and Val been together?" he finished.

I could feel my face combust as what he asked sunk in.

"H-Huh? N-N-No! We're just friends, that's all! I came here to wait for him to finish!" I replied, tripping over my own words in a flustered state.

let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh? Is that so? Then I guess it hasn't happened yet. My apologies!" he told me.

"Go ahead and have a seat over there then, while you wait for Val."

Mr. Bisenberg gestured towards some benches near the side of the pool. I thanked him and obliged, setting my things down near me. I pulled out my phone to text Haru.

"I will be accompanying Gill while he finishes something at school. I left some food in the refrigerator for you. I'll see you at home."

...

"Sure. Have fun 'accompanying' him. ;)"

I closed my phone, and could feel my blush coming back.

I'll deal with her when I g-

My thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a shirtless Gill walking towards me. I could now clearly see his toned body. I looked down to find...that there were no abs. I must've looked disappointed, because he let out a chuckle.

"Ahaha, were you looking for abs? Sorry to disappoint ya. Working out on abdominals doesn't mean I'm going to get abs if I constantly work out, Yuri. Body fat hides it, but it's also needed to… you know, survive. I try to keep my body fat at a comfortable range so I don't suffer the side effects of having too little of it." He explained.

He caught me. There's no use hiding it…

"Sorry…" I apologized.

"Don't be. It's a common misconception." he assured. "And uh… I'm a bit of a nerd about these kind of things. Along with video games and all, so stop me if I go on a tangent."

"Now, do you mind if I leave my stuff with you?" Gill asked.

"Go right I ahead." I answered.

He proceeded to leave his bag and go to the pool. There I watched him perform drills with the rest of the team. His form left a bit to be desired, but he seemed to be doing fine on his own. I watched, completely mesmerized as he gave each stroke, unable to look away. What finally broke me out of my trance was my phone, which had vibrated.

"Yuri! Are you free? We still need someone to fill in a spot for the girl's team!"

"Right now?" I asked, not wanting to leave where I was.

"No, in about half an hour. One of our members felt really sick and had to take a break. Sorry that this is so last minute, but I couldn't think of anyone else!"

"Don't worry, I'll be there with someone."

"Tysm!"

I can just tell Gill once we're done here.

I set down my phone, not wanting to waste any more time looking away from Gill.

I continued to observe until the team finished their drills. At the end of it all, Gill said his goodbyes, and made his way to me, looking exhausted, but happy.

"So? What did you think, Yuri?" he asked.

"Well, is it your first time swimming?" I asked.

"For a team? Yes. In general? No. Why?" he asked.

"It was evident in your form." I answered.

"Oh… was it that bad?" Gill cringed.

"It wasn't bad for a beginner, actually. Although, it doesn't mean there isn't any room for improvement." I told him.

"Oh? Enlighten me then." He said with a curious smile.

I always love it when he wants to listen to me.

"Well, for starters, your head wasn't in the right place. You should always have your head facing a bit forward, keeping your forehead barely under the surface. That should offer less resistance compared to how you had your head right now, which was tucked in. Not only that, but the way you performed your strokes was also incorrect. Try to avoid making a straight line, as it prevents you from getting the most kick out of it." I suggested.

He nodded slowly to process what I was saying before looking at me again.

"Looks like I got a lot to learn. Thankfully I got someone to help me out." He stated with a smug look on his face.

I felt very apprehensive from what he meant.

 **"Oh, who is that?"** I asked, not noticing the change in my voice.

He raised an eyebrow before poking me in the nose.

"It's you, dummy." Gill answered.

Coupled with his remark and him poking me in the nose, I felt my face burn up.

He chuckled at my flustered state.

I felt a hand on my head, to which I looked up.

"It's really cute whenever you speak so professionally, Yuri. I can't help but smile and listen." He said while giving me head pats.

My eyes searched every corner of face and for that I felt nostalgic again.

These headpats…

The compliments…

Where did we meet before?

I took off Gill's hand from my head and examined him closely.

He has to be someone I met back in my childhood…

I need to ask him.

My mouth quivered to ask the question but I just couldn't.

Something was holding me back, but I don't know what.

I'll ask him later then.

The feeling in my chest is all the answer I need for now.

"Don't worry, Gill, we all have to start somewhere. I'd say you did pretty well though." I consoled.

"Thanks…"

What else did I need to ask him?

"Oh! Also! Do you mind waiting for me while I attend the girls' swim meet?" I asked, almost forgetting to bring it up.

"Sure, no problem. It's the least I could do after you did the same. Should we head there now?" he asked.

"Yes, let's get going."

* * *

Damn it. I really thought I'd have a chance at confessing right now. It'll have to wait until after.

Wait, should I wait now?

Maybe I shouldn't confess today.

I need to see Yuri's side on all this...

We continued walking until we reached the other side of the pool, where the girl's swim team was. I settled down on a bench, and placed both our stuff on the ground next to me.

"Well. I'll be waiting here if you need anything." I told Yuri, gesturing the bench.

"Of course. I'll come over once I'm done so we can head home." she answered.

I watched her walk up to a dark-haired student, who proceeded to point Yuri to the apparent changing rooms. I then saw her disappear behind the doors.

Guess I should find a way to entertain myself…

* * *

Grr!

I had forgotten how uncomfortable these swimsuits were…

They feel so…tight.

Not only that, but it doesn't leave much to the imagination…

**On the bright side, Gill will be able to see every inch of my b-**

"Hey, did you see that hot guy sitting over at the bench?" I heard an unfamiliar voice say.

"You too? I thought I was the only one! I can't believe I've never seen him around!" replied another stranger.

Hot guy?

Bench?

I racked my head to think of a possible identity.

Gill.

My heart felt prickly when I realized who it was.

**They're talking about Gill.**

As my mind put two and two together, I was overcome with seething rage.

**They will NOT take him away from me. He's mine, and mine only.**

"I dare you to go talk to him!" A girl with green hair challenged.

"W-What? No! Are you kidding? I could never work up the courage! He looks a bit intimidating really..." A girl with blue hair replied.

The other girl scoffed at her.

"I guess that means he's fair game for me then~"

All of a sudden the blue haired girl jumped up.

"But that doesn't mean I won't try!" She declared.

I heard footsteps exit, as the two girls left laughing.

That's enough.

I stomped my way out of the changing rooms, no longer caring about how I looked. All I wanted was to put those two in their place.

My eyes scanned the room for Gill, and they widened once they found him.

Those **girls** …

Both of the girls were around my man and it greatly angered me as a result.

I dashed over to them but as soon as I got closer, the rational part of my mind kicked in.

Wait, I should strike at the most opportune time.

With that, I pressed myself against a wall and listened in.

"Hey, hot shot! You're a third year right?" One girl flirtatiously asked.

I looked over to see it was the green haired girl asking the question.

Gill looked a bit suspicious of the two girls, giving me some relief.

"Um, no, a fourth. Is there something I can help you with?" He asked politely.

The blue haired girl walked up to him with her hands behind her back.

"Well yeah, I was wondering what's a **man** like you doing in the girl's swimming club?" She asked in a cutesy manner.

I felt myself grit my teeth when she called him a man.

"Well I'm here to sub for a sick member of yours. Mr. Bisenberg gave the all clear to let me do that so… yeah." He answered.

The green haired girl seductively walked up to him.

"If that's the case, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Yotsuba and this here is Ichika. What's your name hunk?"

My grip against the wall tightened greatly.

Gill blushed and looked away.

"Uh, my name's Val." He simply answered.

At this point, I had seen more than enough and decided to take action. I retreated from my hiding spot and walked towards them.

"Val! There you are!~" I called out to him, completely ignoring the other two girls.

I went up to him and wrapped myself around his arm, hugging it tightly.

"H-Huh? Yuri, wha-" He started asking, but I couldn't afford to let him ruin my plans. I hugged his arm tighter.

"I was afraid I'd lost you! Now, what could you possibly be doing, with these…" I turned to the girls, eyeing them down in disgust. "people?"

My glare angered them, but I was able to see the fear in their eyes.

"What do you mean by that?!" exclaimed Ichika, taking a step forward.

Yotsuba took a step forward too.

"Do you have something against us?!"

This is good.

**Now, I can make my move.**

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked, giving her a smug look. "It means Val here doesn't have time to be around two **skanks** like you when all he needs is me." I continued, taking a step forward myself.

**He's mine!**

"Jeez. Umm… Yuri? I think you made your-" started Val, but I simply placed my hand on his chest.

 **"Now... Back. Off.** " I finished, giving the girl a cold stare.

There was something in me that felt strange, but yet so natural for me.

I didn't know what it was, but it made me grin.

As soon as I said that, Ichika took a step back. Yotsuba looked just as angry as her, but backed away as well.

Yotsuba let out a nervous laugh.

"It's not like he's THAT good." She said, and quickly walked off with Ichika.

"Yeah!"

"Right, it's not like you approached me or anything..." Gill muttered under his breath.

I immediately turned around and glared at him.

"Er- I'm sorry…" he said, looking away.

Suddenly, he looked up at me.

"Wait a minute! Why am I even sorry?! What the hell was that all about, Yuri!?" He exclaimed.

"What was 'what' all about?" I asked nonchalantly, still feeling high from scaring them.

He sighed and crossed his arms.

"Oh we're playing dumb now?" he asked, clearly unimpressed.

I shook my head out of it and regained my composure.

"If you're referring to me telling off those...girls, I simply put them back in their place, Gill." I answered.

He raised an eyebrow.

"How? They did nothing wrong! Well, not yet I guess. But still, I could've handled em!" Gill questioned.

God you're so dense.

"Look, Valkyrie…" I said, walking up to him.

"Those **girls** clearly had no intention other than to toy with you, and I simply could not allow that. You're mine, **got that?** " I asked, noticing a dark undertone to my voice.

Gill blinked a couple of times to process what I said, but looked up to me again.

"Yours? Look Yuri, you're forgetting that I can han-" He began, but I cut him short.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, we're about to start. Don't leave without me!~" I told him, before heading to the pool.

"R-Right…" I heard him say, obviously disorientated from what just happened.

I can't believe I did all that!

Did I seriously just tell him he was mine?

Uuuuuuuu!

It's over.

There's no denying he has caught on to my true feelings by now!

* * *

I'm… hers?

I could feel my face start to burn up.

The way she said it…

She sounded so passionate about it, like whenever she talks about something she enjoys a lot...

Why does my heart feel like it's going a mile a minute?

Surely she didn't mean it in a romantic way...right?

But then again, she clearly told me and those girls that I was hers…

Not to mention that when she hugged me I could feel her chest wrap around my arms!

**Not that I'm complai-**

ARRGH!

Get a hold of yourself Val!

You can't let every little thing bother you!

Now...

Does that mean Yuri likes me too?

I continued to ponder, up until the point where I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice Yuri right next to me until she touched my shoulder.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Gill. Are you ready?" she asked, looking a little concerned.

"H-Huh? Oh, yeah. Let's get started." I answered, avoiding any eye contact.

We ran the usual swimming exercises together, with me struggling to catch up with the team.

These girls are leagues better than me.

But it's so obvious that Yuri is a lot better than all of them.

I think she mentioned that she was the team captain back at Ainu.

With my thoughts clouding my focus, I was barely able to keep my stamina at the end of the exercise.

I climbed out of the pool to catch my breath.

Yeah… I don't think I can do much more of this.

"Not bad for a guy." A girl stated to my side.

I looked towards her to see the same dark haired girl from before.

She must be the team captain.

Her facial expression was sharp, yet elegant, a huge difference to Yuri's more mellow expression.

Wait, why I am comparing her to Yuri?

"Here's a towel, I am sure you reached your limit." The girl said, handing me a towel.

I took it and nodded.

"Thanks. I don't really do much swimming, really. So this is out of my norm." I mentioned, drying myself with the towel.

She didn't reply for the time being and instead examined me closely, her sharp expression not changing at all.

I started to feel self-conscious with the intensity of her stare so I turned my body away.

"I am assuming you workout, right? I can tell with size of your shoulders and body."

Uh…

Is she checking me out?

"Y-Yeah, I have been going to the gym for around four years or so." I quickly answered, before slowly walking away.

"Where are you going?" The girl asked, her expression still not changing. "We are not done talking."

What's up with this girl?!

She makes me really, really uncomfortable!

"Sorry… I just wanted to sit at the benches, haha…" I awkwardly apologized.

That still did nothing to her expression.

"You have a lot of potential, Jones." She stated, while looking out to the pool.

How did she…

"I have been examining you for a while now. Maybe you could consider joining the swimming team." The captain offered.

I am getting a lot of red flags here.

"Um… thanks but no thanks. I already did my extracurriculars for the past two years. I am planning on taking it easy for my third year." I replied, hoping she would get the message.

She sighed in response.

"I wasn't talking about joining the male swimming team. I was asking if you would join our team with special conditions in place. Since you are in good terms with the Phys Ed teacher, I am sure he will let you join."

This girl really doesn't let up does she?

"Ahaha… Like I said. I am still not interested. Sorry." I answered once more, while looking at her.

She turned around with a small smile.

"Are you sure?" She asked, while slowly walking up to me.

In turn, I slowly backed away from her.

"I would like to get you to know you better." She added, her smile slightly widening.

What the fuck!

Why is every girl hitting on me?!

It's like they've never seen a guy before!

And from the looks of it, I am pretty average!

Who in the world is making me suffer?!

"Ahem." Another female voice entered.

We both looked towards the voice.

Yuri?!

Her body was drenched in water, her purple hair shining because of it.

However, her face differed from her hair.

Behind that smile was something dark that I couldn't quite describe.

Oh shit.

"Team captain, I have finished my exercises." Yuri simply said.

The captain showed no signs of fear or anything and remained collected.

"You finished faster than the other members, did you skip any of it?" She asked, with a cold tone her voice.

Yuri was completely unfazed by the tone change.

"I did not. Remember, I was also a team captain in my old school, so I am very experienced. Now, if I remember correctly, you have a club to manage. But instead, I find you flirting with a dear friend of **mine that you asked me to sub**. I suggest that you do your job, team captain!" She stated sharply.

…

…

…

Holy fuck.

Yuri's confidence is on a whole new level!

"Humph." The team captain huffed, before leaving the scene.

That was really impressive…

"Yuri, thanks for saving my ass back there." I muttered, while looking at the retreating figure. "She really wouldn't let up on inviting to the team."

I turned to see Yuri on the verge of fainting.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

I quickly caught Yuri before she would have fell.

"I… I said all that to the team captain… What am I going to do?" She whispered as I put her up at her feet.

She smells so nice…

Wait, what?!

"Don't worry. She was bothering me, so if she tries anything, I will back you up." I quickly answered, hoping it would make Yuri snap out of it.

She shook her head and looked at me.

"Thank you, so much. Gill, you are a very reliable… friend."

I smiled at her.

"You're welcome. Now, are we done here?"

Yuri nodded as we walked over to our bags and took out our clothes.

Once that was done we took turns in the bathroom changing.

With my bag in my hand, I was ready to go.

"Alright let's head out."

Yuri nodded and walked over to her bag.

"Just let me get m- Ah!" Yuri yelped in pain, stopping in her tracks and holding her leg.

"Yuri? Are you okay?!" I asked her, running up to her.

But without any hesitation, I grabbed her and sat her on the bench.

"Y-Yeah… I seem to have pulled a muscle, I think I pushed myself a bit more than I could handle, that's all." She answered through gritted teeth.

A pulled muscle?

How do you treat a pulled muscle?

Wait, she pushed herself?

Does that mean she got jealous?

...

Focus!

…

Oh! I've got it!

I positioned Yuri so that I could sit comfortably beside her. I was so close that her scent began to fill my nose.

I can smell Lavender, Jasmine and Chlorine...

I then proceeded to delicately place my hands on her legs.

"E-E-Eh?! W-What? Just what do you think you're doing, Gill?" asked Yuri, clearly thrown off by the sudden contact.

"Relax, I'm just going to try and ease the pain a bit, okay?" I assured.

"B-B-But-?"

I growled in irritation.

"No buts. Relax." I ordered.

"O-Okay…" She complied, letting her body relax.

I started to gently massage her lower leg, making my way from her hamstrings to her thighs. I could hear Yuri's breath hitch as I did this.

"Ah~!" She moaned. "I-I'm sorry!" she apologized, obviously embarrassed.

I let out a small chuckle. It wasn't an unexpected reaction.

After all, what's better than a massage after a long day?

"It's fine, Yuri." I consoled.

I continued my massage in silence with Yuri's occasional dopamine inducing moans. All the while, I couldn't help but marvel at Yuri.

Even up close, she's breathtakingly beautiful. Everything about her radiates grace and sophistication.

**Not to mention she's got a big-**

Heart.

A big heart.

Nothing else, me.

Once I was done, I let go, much to her disappointment, and we got up.

"Alright! So are you feeling be-" I began, but my nose was once again filled with that smell.

"Ow! Uuuu… my leg still hurts! I'm sorry!" Yuri yelped holding onto her leg once again.

Shit!

Looks like I have no choice then.

"Yuri, hop on my back." I offered, turning my back towards the girl.

She stared at my back in confusion.

"W-what? I don't understand…" She muttered, before trying to get up again.

She stopped in her tracks again.

"Yuri, get on my back." I ordered in a more serious tone.

I heard her gulp and she hopped on, her legs and arms wrapping around my body.

She's surprisingly light given her body…

"Hang on."

I stood up to which she gave a surprised yelp.

"Waah!"

Once I had adjusted to the weight, I started walking towards the exit.

It was easy to walk given how much she weighed but Yuri's chest was starting to distract me.

"Val." She called, as I walked towards the school exit.

"You're such a great person. And I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me."

As I turned my head to face her there was a sudden warm sensation on my cheek.

What the…?

It took me a second to realize that Yuri had kissed me.

Did she just…?

Again came that familiar feeling, a feeling of euphoria.

Yuri… kissed me.

She kissed me!

My heart raced from how overjoyed I felt from the kiss.

"Thank you very much, Val. One day, I will repay you. I promise." She said, giving me a gentle smile.

I was still in ecstatic from the kiss, so I couldn't give her a proper answer.

"Val?" She sweetly called, waking me up the trance.

I'll think about this a lot later.

For now...

"Hmm?" I responded.

"Shall we go now?" She asked, wrapping her arms around my chest.

With a smile, I looked ahead.

"Yeah, let's go." I answered, as we continued to walk home.


	6. Feelings(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

As we exited the school, I felt Yuri's grip on me tighten.

"Hm? What's wrong, Yuri?" I asked, looking up to her.

I turned to see Yuri resting peacefully on my shoulder, keeping a small, cute smile.

Just seeing her at peace sparks something in my heart.

I don't know what it is, but it feels cozy.

This feeling…

It always happens whenever I am around her.

I can't possibly see her as anything platonic, no, cause these sparks aren't around when I'm with friends or the other girls.

No, Yuri is special to me.

Without even realizing it, I leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You're very special to me, Yuri. You know that?"

…

What the fuck, me?!

I did it again!

I kissed Yuri on her cheek again!

Fuck!

She's "special to me"?

Why, why, why, why, why?!

I continued to berate myself while I was walking, praying that she wasn't awake for any of it.

The realization that she was still asleep washed over me like low tide.

Oh, thank goodness.

I don't know how I would've played it off.

But this…

This confirms that I…

I really, really like Yuri as more than just a friend.

Everything she does is so elegant, so adorable, so… **seductive**.

She doesn't try to be perverted and yet…

My mind raced back to this morning.

Yuri's grip on me felt so enticing.

Even though I'm not a teenager anymore, I still lose control of my hormones whenever she touches me.

What's up with that?

All that Jasmine…

I think it really messes with my hormones.

Isn't Jasmine some sort of aphrodisiac?

Anyway, why does that trigger some memories of uh…

Where I'm uh…

"Pleasuring" her while under the effects of Jasmine?

I am sure that has never happened before.

I've only gone to her house twice!

"Mmm…" Yuri cooed, shuffling a bit.

This snapped me out of my thoughts, eliciting a smile from me.

I doubt she sees me like a person she could fall in love with.

But I am fine with that.

I'm fine as long as she's happy.

That's all I really need. To see her smile.

And yet...

The denial in my heart was impossible to ignore.

"We're almost there, Yuri. I'll make sure your leg will be just fine." I whispered to her, looking ahead.

Her soft snores started to fade away, but I couldn't sense her waking up.

But are there any clues that she might like me back?

"Val…" She dreamily muttered.

My heart skipped a beat from the way she called my name.

The way she calls me by my first name, I know I told her to call me Gill but…

Maybe she likes Val better.

"Val… Val… Val… Don't ever leave me again. Please…" she whimpered.

Don't ever leave her again?

What does that mean?

My eyes widened at what she was saying.

I am… hers.

When she yelled at the two girls back in the club, she claimed that I was hers.

"Val, I... " She whispered while sleeping.

If I was hers, does she mean she was jealous?

Then that means she likes me as well right?

I slowed my pace to hear her better.

What's she saying at a time like this?

Is it going to confirm my thoughts?

Because I…

"I… I love you."

…

No...

* * *

"Yuri, wake up." I heard someone sweetly say.

My eyes opened slowly, the orange sunlight piercing my sight.

"What's going on?" I asked, confused as to where I am.

I yawned and stretched, soon realizing that I was piggyback riding someone.

And that someone was-

"We're home, Yuri." He announced in a rather cold tone.

I couldn't help but feel off by his strange behavior.

What's wrong with Val?

Why is he so…

Distant all of a sudden?

His usual warm smile was replaced by a stone cold frown.

Not only that, he wasn't looking at me, instead, he was looking straight ahead.

I turned to see what he was looking at and saw my house.

"Oh…" I let out, somewhat surprised by how fast we arrived.

The door opened, with my mom waiting at my doorstep.

"Ah, Yuri! I was worried about you!" She said as she ran up to us.

My mother looked remarkably identical to Haru and me, as we all shared the same hair, eyes, and looks.

She immediately realized that Val was standing right next to me, a bit baffled from the similarities.

"Oh my, who's this?" She asked while smiling at him.

Val took the cue and smiled.

"Hello, my name's Val Jones and I am a friend of Yuri's. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Ikeda." He courteously greeted.

She smiled back and bowed.

"And it's nice to meet you too, Jones. Would you like to come in?"

I looked towards him with a hopeful smile, wishing that he would come over again.

However, he shook his head.

"Sorry, I really need to head home. My parents are probably wondering what's taking me so long. But thank you for your hospitality. I will be sure to visit next time." He answered, before taking a step back.

I was disappointed that he didn't want to meet my parents or come over, but I was more disappointed with the fact that he **didn't want to spend time with me.**

Wait, I forgot that Val didn't go home yesterday!

To think that I was disappointed in him for not worrying about his parents!

What's with me and spending all my time with him?

This hasn't happened before…

My mother smiled at the man.

"Very well, I wish you the best."

I didn't realize that I was staring at Val before my mother nudged me at the shoulder.

"Ah! Sorry! Goodbye, Val!" I frantically apologized while bowing.

I looked up to see him give a small smile to me, a far cry to how he was when I woke up.

"Again, thank you for your hospitality. And I'll see you Friday, okay Yuri?"

I nodded enthusiastically, to which he started walking towards the gate.

He gave us one last wave before heading off.

The more distance he put between us, the more the warm and cozy feeling in my heart faded away.

I couldn't help but frown without his presence.

"Yuri, I can tell you really admire him, don't you?" My mother asked with a knowing smile.

My face burned up and I was only able meekly nod at her.

"Y-Yes… I really, really like him, Mother. He has helped me so much over the last few days and I could never truly repay him. I would do anything to let him know that I really appreciate all he has done for me."

My mother put her arm around me and hugged.

"He really has grown up to be a fine young man, hasn't he?" She enigmatically asked.

What?

I looked up to my mother with a puzzled look, to which she responded with a smile.

"Anyway, I am sure he is interested in you as well."

My puzzled look turned into bewilderment.

"H-How do you know? I tried reading his every move but I can't see signs of attraction."

Mother only responded with a head pat.

"Yuri, mothers have a unique intuition that lets us know about these sorts of things. I just know by the way you two look at each other. It speaks miles for me."

So if Mother says that he is attracted to me…

Then why wasn't I able to figure it out?!

"Don't be so frustrated, Yuri. This sense will come at its own time. Now come, we have work to do in the garden. I get the feeling that he would be impressed to see it again."

She took my hand to which I followed with a smile.

Maybe I'll read him better once I show him around our garden…

* * *

As I walked him, the thoughts of Yuri plagued me to no end.

My heart feels numb whenever I'm away from Yuri, and it's starting to become unbearable…

This feeling…

It's love, right?

If not, then what is it?

This means that I am in love with Yuri.

Not to mention that she…

"I… I love you."

Yuri, the quiet bookworm.

Yuri, the passionate speaker.

Yuri, the brave friend.

Yuri, the stunningly beautiful girl…

That girl loves me?

How in the world did that happen?

There have to be much better guys she can be into.

Hell, I know any guy can do a much better job of looking out for her and loving her.

I, on the other hand, can somehow say things that make her worthwhile… while I have no idea exactly what it is I am saying.

Every pep talk I give to her, every action I take to help her feel better, everything feels natural and righteous whenever I do any of it.

No…

I need some time to think and rest.

A lot of stuff happened today, and it's pushing me to my breaking point.

Monika's confession to me is just exaggerating this a lot more than usual.

*BRR BRR*

I picked up my vibrating phone and answered it.

"Hello?" I greeted.

It's Tom. I could use a little distraction.

"Brooklyn, you there? You missed hitting the gym with us, man. Are you gonna be up for some arcade?"

Fuck!

I totally forgot about the gym and the arcade!

And I don't think I can make it with how torn up I am feeling right now.

"Tom, no, Hill-top… I don't think I'm gonna make it to the arcade. I was helping out Yuri with the swimming club and walking her back home with a cramp. I am sorry." I weakly apologized.

He gave a reassuring grunt and sighed.

"We understand, or at least I understand. Your luck's been pretty shitty lately, hasn't it?" He jokingly asked.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Yep, it has. But I am helping out a cute and socially awkward girl out. I am doing what's right for her."

He chuckled a little from what I said.

Wait, why is he-

OH NO!

"That basically confirms it! We all knew you had the hots for Yuri! Like come on, it was so obvious that you two were into each other. Sayori was shipping you two so hard that she made up the name 'Valuri'. Or something like that. Haha!"

My face was on fire from Tom's relentless comeback.

That's it!

"You got me! You got me! I started noticing Yuri a lot more ever since last night. Everything about her makes my heart jump a little, and I just can't get enough of that!" I admitted, frustrated that everything was falling into place.

He sighed happily.

"I am happy for you, Val. Believe me, I would give you a bear hug right now because of how I am happy I am, or how happy we all are. Dan and Hiro were listening in on the conversation, you know?"

My jaw dropped from the revelation.

"Good shit, Val. Good shit!" Hiro complimented while clapping in the background.

"Now that you like her, make the first move!" Dan exclaimed. "You're gonna regret it if you don't do anything to start the initiative!"

I coughed a little to get their attention.

"Yeah, that's not happening just yet. I need to make sure that she feels the same way about me. It doesn't hurt to be careful, right?" I explained.

They only grumbled in response.

"I'm gonna confess tomorrow right after the club meeting is over. That way, I could just get it over with. In the meantime, I have to be extra careful of her actions and hope that she likes me back."

She said I was hers…

She got possessive when I was around those girls.

And not to mention how vibrant she becomes whenever she is around me…

No, I still need to be careful…

"Alright then, Brooklyn. You got to remember that this is about you. Take care of yourself."

I smiled and looked ahead.

"Yeah, have a great time you three," I said, hanging up.

With a new sense of hope, I continued to walk with thoughts of Yuri and I being together.

* * *

Shortly after Val left, I followed my mother through the entrance.

"I am going to leave my bag inside, as well as change. I'll be back soon ." I told her, heading inside.

"Don't take too long!~" she replied.

I proceeded to make my way to my room, with a noticeable bounce in my step. I couldn't help but let out a small giggle, as I knew exactly why I felt so happy..

I hope that Val falls head over heels for me.

One day, I guess…

I quickly changed out of my uniform and left my school bag on my bed before joining my mother.

She was outside, humming a merry tune to herself, tending to our orchids.

Regardless of whatever she was doing, she always managed to look stunning while doing so. I continued to marvel at my mother. It wasn't uncommon for people to mistake us for siblings. We both shared the same purple hair color and eyes, relatively tall height, and...back pain-inducing reasons.

The similarities ended there, however.

Unlike me, my mother was a very outgoing and an easily approachable woman. Whereas I could only handle so much socializing, my mother thrived on spending time with others. I had seemed to pick up my father's more serious and reserved nature.

I made my way towards her.

"How was your recent business trip, mother?" I asked.

"Oh, the usual, sweetie. Really boring." She answered, making no effort to hide her obvious distaste.

"Where's Father?" I asked, barely noticing his absence.

"He stayed behind. Our flight got unexpectedly full, so there wasn't space for both us. He told me he'd meet me here since we couldn't leave you girls alone for too long." she answered. I then heard her swoon.

"That man! Always so stoic and selfless." My mother said dreamily.

"I-I see," I replied, not sure how to answer to that. I began to help her with the flowers, and once we were done with those, we moved on to the next patch of flowers. Shortly after, my mother got up, wiping some sweat off her forehead.

"Phew! This used to be so easy!" She exclaimed, seemingly tired.

I looked up at her, letting out a small laugh. Once finished, we moved to another part of the garden.

"Ah!" I let out in surprise.

We had begun to work on our lilacs, much to my satisfaction, seeing as they were my favorite flowers.

This inexplicably warm feeling I get whenever I see one...I just can't get enough of it...

"I see you still love lilacs, Yuri~!" My mother said, smiling at my sparkling joy.

"Of course! I can't explain it, but there's nothing like seeing a lilac. I can't help but feel something whenever I see one." I replied happily.

"Honestly, I would too, if your father gave one to me the same way that young man did!" She sighed.

Young man?

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled by her statement.

She continued to tend to the lilacs.

"Well, you know... Didn't Val give you your very first lilac?" She asked while working.

What?

Val?

My first… lilac?

"W-What?" was all I could manage. I still hadn't fully wrapped my head around what she'd told me.

My silence was enough to stop my mother from working.

"Yuri… Don't tell me you forgot! You and Val were inseparable when you were younger!" She exclaimed, wearing a shocked expression.

We were…

Inseparable?

"I-I'm afraid I d-" I began, but I was suddenly interrupted by a memory of myself, running alongside a boy my age.

"Come on, Yuri! I'll race you to the garden! It will be fun!"

I couldn't make out his face, but whoever the boy was, he made me happy.

"W-Wait for me! It's not fair that you're faster than me!" I pouted.

Who is that boy?

As I tried to remember more and more about his face, I was able to make out his onyx eyes.

The same eyes that-

Val…?

The more I thought about my childhood, the more my heart pricked.

W-Why…?

Why is my heart hurting so much?

The pain is almost unbearable…

Suddenly, it was impossible to breathe.

"Yuri! Are you feeling alright?!" My mother yelled, seemingly out of nowhere.

That was able to get me out of my trance.

I shook my head and looked towards her.

"I am fine, mother," I assured. "I'm feeling a little lightheaded, that's all."

My mother sighed and stood up.

"In that case Yuri, go to bed early today. I wouldn't know what to do if you felt dizzy again." She worriedly said.

Maybe that would be best…

I stood up and proceeded to leave the garden.

"Okay then, goodnight mother."

She gave me her signature smile before returning to work.

I made my way to my room and changed into my pajamas.

Once that was done, I collapsed over my bed.

Why did I remember Val in that memory?

When did that memory take place?

And why does it…

Hurt?

There was unknown exhaustion taking hold of my body, causing my eyelids to bear weight.

Was Val that boy…?

Is he the one?

Is he the one that I will cross paths with again?

I…

I don't know.

* * *

I was sitting down on my desk, working on the poem for tomorrow.

Occasionally, I would look over to Monika's window and see if she was doing alright.

But she wasn't home.

I felt very divided on the situation, however.

On one hand, I should give her some space to think things out.

But on the other, I want to help her be herself and cope with the fact that I like…

Yuri.

…

I sighed heavily from the situation.

Yuri said she loves me when she was sleep talking, but for all I know, it could be just that, sleep talk.

But deep down, I have a feeling that might mean something else.

Changing my feelings to be with Monika will just hurt us both a lot more.

If I don't have a spark with Monika and date her, it will be one-sided.

And if Monika finds out that I don't actually love her, she would be devastated.

Just like how she was four years ago.

Gosh, what a mess.

Monika, wherever you are…

I am so sorry for not falling in love with you.

If the theory that multiple universes exist turns out to be true, I pray that other me takes better care of Monika.

She deserves it, after all this time.

With another sigh, I went back to working on the poem.

I started working on the poem almost immediately after I came home.

My parents gave me a good scolding as to how late I was and how worried they were when I was sleeping at a friend's house.

But when they realized it was a girl's house, they became interested.

Mom and Dad started asking so many questions about who the girl was and how much I liked her.

Of course, I kept my answers limited.

The one question interested my parents, or at least my dad was about her name.

"Sport, could you tell us her name?"

"Ugh, yeah. Her name is Yuri Anastasiya Ikeda, Dad."

The look on his face was pretty surprising.

I never thought Dad would ever widen his eyes like that.

"Yuri Ikeda? My boss's name surname is Ikeda, and he did mention having a daughter named Yuri… do they live in a mansion?"

I shrugged a little there.

"Not really, but it's a pretty expensive looking house in an upper-class neighborhood."

That bewildered my dad more.

"Is that so…?"

The questions came to a halt when Dad told Mom that needed to talk for a bit.

At least they stopped scolding me for coming so late, haha.

I continued writing my poem.

The drive to help me write the poem was Yuri.

My feelings for her made this a lot easier for me to write out than to think out, ironically.

I hope that she likes me back.

Despite my head telling me she might not, my heart says otherwise.

Everything she says about me and towards me screams: "Val, I am in love with you! Please date me!"

She said I was hers…

She stands up for me when no one else will…

And not to mention, Yuri is very reliable.

Before I knew it, I was able to finish my poem.

Huh, looks like I am done.

Jeez, I really outdid myself with this one.

I poured my soul into this one, and I feel great!

This poem can be like a confession!

I stopped myself from losing it there.

Argh! What's wrong with me?!

At the very least, this poem will show how much I admire her and our friendship.

If there is a chance that Yuri does like me back, then I am not going to give it away in a poem!

I will confess to her before she even gets the-

No, no, no, no!

Why is my head now agreeing with my heart?!

It would make things too awkward if I mess this up!

And I mess things up when I overthink things…

Like this.

Damn it!

Without many options, I gave up and put my poem into my bag while I continued to berate myself.

No matter how much I insult myself, my feelings for her won't change.

I walked out to my balcony and looked up to the stars.

The color of the starry night reminded me about a certain girl's hair.

Yuri, if you do or don't like me, there are so many reasons why I want to be with you.

I'll do anything to be by your side.

The heavens gleamed as I stargazed, the purple sky now burning a brighter hue.

And because of that, I…

I love you too, Yuri.

* * *

I yawned as I walked to school.

The walk to school wasn't always this… boring.

Maybe it's because of Val's presence is what makes it much more enjoyable.

I stretched my body and made sure I didn't pull any muscles by mistake.

Hopefully, Val won't be the same cold man from when we departed.

I can only wonder what exactly happened to him while I fell asleep on his back.

…

I cursed my slow pickup to the apparent reason as to why he behaved like that.

Why am I so slow to all this?

Val must be upset because I was demanding too much for him!

Who wouldn't be upset of a girl sleeping on a man's back?

That is an insult to the hard work he provided!

…

I need to apologize to him.

But where is he?

I hurried my pace in order to look for him.

Out of sheer luck, I saw him walking with his friends and enjoying their company.

There he is!

But I can't just walk in and apologize to him in front of his friends…

No, that would be insulting!

I have to get away!

With a turn of my heel, I proceeded to walk away from them.

"Eh? Yuri, is that you?"

I felt a shiver down my spine when I heard his voice.

"Eep!" I yelped, trying my best not to move a muscle.

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

He found me?!

Since when did I behave so irrationally and hastily?!

Now, what do I do?!

I felt his hand on my shoulder as he gently turned me around.

As I slowly turned around, my eyes met his onyx ones.

And all of a sudden, I felt very uneasy for a completely different reason.

His eyes…

They look so familiar.

Fortunately, they look different from how they were yesterday.

Wait, this isn't the time to think about that!

"Yuri, is there something wrong?" He asked, worryingly.

The image of the boy flashed in my head when he asked that.

"I… I um…" I mumbled incoherently, unable to think straight.

Answer him!

"Ah, yes! I'm fine!" I started with a smile.

That didn't fly with him.

"Really? How come you were looking tipsy and dizzy just a moment ago?" Val inquired, suspicious of my excuse.

He has got me in a bind!

"I was… thinking!" I honestly replied. "Sorry, I was trying to remember something important, but couldn't recall what it was."

The man eyed my strange excuse but nodded slowly.

"Okay, then." He said with a smile.

That smile…

It looks so familiar…

"Hehehe! Yuri, you're so cute when you're picking those flowers up!"

My heart stopped for a second when that boy flashed in my head once more.

Why is that boy repeatedly coming to my head whenever I speak to Val?!

I need… I need to stay away from him for the time being.

I feel so confused…

"I am sorry, Val. I have to help my teacher with printing out assignments. So I need to hurry… I will see you at the club!" I quickly stated, before turning on my heel.

I could tell he was confused about my strange behavior, but I couldn't risk telling him what's with my head.

"Yuri, wait up!"

* * *

I yelled, baffled by her eccentric behavior.

What?

Why is she so distant all of a sudden?

I don't get it!

….

Wait, is it because of yesterday?

I was behaving strangely yesterday as well.

Kind of like her…

So what's gotten into her?

Did my cold approach bother her that much?

Or is it because of something else?

…

I am gonna talk to her about that when we meet in the club…

"Val, you good? Your girlfriend just ran off without you." Hiro asked, teasing me a little.

I stared at the direction at which she ran off.

"I… don't know, actually," I answered, confused about my own wellbeing.

Wait, girlfriend?!

I turned around with an annoyed look.

"Hiro, she isn't my girlfriend!" I exclaimed, trying to hide the blush in.

Dan rolled his eyes and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Right, and don't you plan on making her your girlfriend? You know, by confessing?" He countered.

I frowned at his words.

Damn it, he is right.

"Well yeah, but… not right now. I am just worried about her. She usually doesn't run away like this." I mumbled as I looked towards the direction Yuri ran in.

"She looked like she had a lot on her mind. Give her some time." Dan advised.

I looked towards him and reluctantly nodded.

I really want to ask her what's wrong, but maybe Dan is right.

We continued to walk to school and the day progressed as normal.

Even though I told myself I needed to focus in class, I couldn't help but think about the purple haired goddess.

My constant worrying came to an end when I realized that it was time for the literature club to meet up.

On my way there, I saw a flash of pink to my side and realized who it was.

Natsuki…

"There you are! I was looking for you!" She greeted with a small smile.

I smiled back.

"That's flattering, what's up?" I greeted back.

Natsuki's small smile brightened.

"Hah! You're right that looking for you is flattering! I came here to ask you a question."

A question?

I nodded at her.

"Fire away."

All of a sudden, her smile and bravado started to waver.

"Um… well…" She muttered, her pink eyes now averting mine.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

She shook her head, her twin tails swinging left and right.

"No! No! It's just that…" Natsuki exclaimed.

The girl took a deep breath and let it out.

She looked up with a renewed grit on her face.

"Jeez, you're making this hard on me, aren't you? I am asking you if ate the cookies I made for you!"

…

Oh…!

Right, about that!

I playfully rolled my eyes.

"The cookies? That's what you're embarrassed about? Well yeah, I did. They tasted a lot better than any old brand. Homemade right?"

Natsuki's eyes sparkled as I complimented her.

"Anything else?" She asked breathlessly.

As soon as I was about to add to what I said, I felt a weight on my arm.

I felt something cushion around my arm and gripping around me.

My eyes turned to the girl hugging my arm in a possessive manner.

Yuri?!

She was looking at Natsuki with venomous eyes as if telling her to back off.

Natsuki took a step back before glaring back at her.

" **He's mine** ," Yuri whispered, holding my arm tight.

The pink haired girl was staggered by her comment but regained her composure with a smirk.

"Jeez, Yuri. I didn't know you had the hots for the idiot." She commented.

Instead of the reaction I had expected, Yuri curled around my arm.

" **Maybe I do! And I won't let anyone have him!** " She declared, her glare still on the cupcake.

I was secretly impressed by Yuri's show of confidence.

You've come a long way, Yuri…

I actually thought that you would be embarrassed by Natsuki's well-placed attack, but no…

You stood your ground.

I smiled at her, before realizing what she said.

Wait…

Maybe I do?

That has to mean Yuri has feelings for me!

This is great!

Natsuki rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Whatever, I will meet you guys at the literature club." She mentioned, before taking a turn.

There was a distinct tonal shift in her voice that told me she was hurt.

I looked towards Yuri, who was now looking away in shame.

Even though she can stand her ground, she can sometimes falter like this.

"I… I have to go." Yuri muttered, before releasing herself from me.

Oh no, you don't!

I need to ask her what's wrong!

Before she could bolt from me, I grabbed her wrist.

"Yuri." I simply muttered, causing her to stop in her tracks. "You've been behaving very erratically lately. What's up with that?"

She sunk her head and drooped her shoulders.

"I love you…"

No…

Is she going to confess right now?

If she is going to then I will-

"I will tell you why after the club meeting ends…" She enigmatically whispered, her head still bowed.

After?

Why not now?

I let go of her wrist.

"Alright, Yuri. I'll wait for you after the club meeting ends." I promised.

Without looking back, Yuri walked away.

* * *

I stopped around the corner and pressed my back against the wall.

My heart wouldn't stop pounding as I held onto my chest.

Deep breaths, Yuri.

Deep breaths.

With a couple of deep breaths, I rested my head on the wall.

I am being pushed to my breaking point.

Being around Val just pushes me on the verge of confessing to him...

And with him being around girls…

I felt as if my heart was getting pricked.

My mind went blank and all I could really think of was to make sure that whoever was next to him would back off.

Why…?

Is it because I love him?

Then why does my heart hurt when I'm around him?

I don't understand what's going on…

And I don't think I can hold my feelings back anymore…

With another deep breath, I walked to my locker and put away anything needed for later.

Afterward, I walked towards the literature club to see Sayori and Natsuki waiting outside.

Where is Monika?

Sayori looked at me and smiled.

"Hi, Yuri!"

I smiled and greeted her back.

Natsuki gave me a small glare, which I returned.

Not soon after, Val arrived with Thomas.

"Huh. Monika isn't here?" Thomas asked while looking at Val.

He looked away and frowned.

"Maybe she didn't come to school today."

I saw the pain in his eyes.

A pain that I have seen a long time ago.

Did… Monika confess to him?

I was shocked as to how I arrived at that conclusion.

Monika and Val were very close four years ago.

And the way she talked about him meant that he was an old flame.

If that's the case, then what happened?

Did Val reject her?

…

Why would he reject her?

*BRR*

Sayori's pocket vibrated, to which she took out her phone.

"Oh… Monika said she didn't come to school and that the club meeting is canceled today." She said, reading the text out.

My heart stopped for a split second.

If that's the case...

Then I am going to confess right now.

"Is that so? Hey, Val wanna hang out with the boys? It's Friday!" Thomas offered.

Natsuki cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Actually, I was hoping that you would come to the bookstore with me. I wanted to get your opinion on something." She asked, with a toothy smile.

I gritted my teeth at her.

Val took a couple of steps back from the advancing girl and looked towards me with a serious look.

"Actually, I was gonna walk Yuri home today. Maybe later, I'll let you know when I'm free."

Without much of a warning, Val grabbed my hand and ran.

"Hey! Wait!" Natsuki yelled, leaving her in the dust.

I yelped as he ran outside, secretly glad that he got us out in a situation like that.

We stopped right around the corner and caught our breath.

After a brief moment of silence, Val spoke up.

"Yuri, I know you have something to say, but I have to get this off my chest. It's been on my mind ever since yesterday." He stated while looking at the setting sun.

My eyes widened at what he was implying.

No…

Val is going to confess to me?!

I started to hyperventilate, immediately catching his attention.

"Yuri? Yuri, what's wrong?!"

He grabbed onto my shoulders and tried to calm me down, but it wouldn't work.

Val's going to confess…

I can't believe it…

"Yuri! Please! Don't freak out! I… really need to tell you this! I'll do anything if you calm down!"

It was there that I realized that I was panicking.

My body finally gave me control of my lungs which I used to take another deep breath.

I am sick of being like this!

It's time that I take advantage of the situation!

"I-Is that so? Then close your eyes."

He stared at me with a bit of suspicion before doing so.

From now on, I am going to be brave for you and myself.

It's because of you that I felt the need to change.

And so…

I closed my eyes and leaned in.

Thank you.

Not long after my lips met their counterparts, I quickly realized just how much I had been longing for this.

I felt him shift around in confusion, but ultimately relax.

Everything in my body was beginning to tingle, and it further fueled my confidence, confidence that I never thought I could possibly muster.

He rested his hands on my shoulder and brought me in, deepening our kiss.

Something sparked in my head while we kissed.

* * *

"Yuri! Yuri! Come on! Let's go play in the garden!"

It's that boy…

Why is he here?

I gave him a small smile.

"Okay, what are we going to play?" I asked.

The boy tapped his chin in thought, before grabbing my hand.

We ran outside and towards the garden.

"I don't know! But anything we play will be fun when we're together!"

My cheeks flared up as we continued to run there.

Once there we were met by my mother, who was working in the garden.

"Ah! There you two are! I thought you two would never come!"

We giggled at her.

"Sorry, Mrs. Ikeda! We were busy playing!" The boy declared with a vibrant smile.

My mother looked to me with a small, fake frown.

"Is that so, Yuri?"

I looked towards the boy, to which he nodded at me.

I returned my gaze to my mother and smiled.

"Yes, mama! We were playing!" I joyously replied.

My mother smiled at my burst of energy and patted both of us.

"Aw! How sweet! Now, I am going to make some supper for you two, I'll call you two when it's ready!"

We both gave our goodbyes and we continued to play together.

My gaze never left his face as we played.

The familiar smile, personality, hair…

His onyx black eyes finally connected two and two together.

Val…

It was you all along, Val.

* * *

We played, played, and played until we were exhausted.

As we rested alongside the grass, Val rolled around and pointed towards something in the garden.

"Yuri, what's that?" He asked while pointing at a specific flower.

I looked at the flower he pointed and immediately knew the answer.

"That's a lilac, Val." I answered.

He walked over to the flower and picked it up.

I eyed his actions as he walked over to me.

"Yuri? I want you to have this. I think it's a really pretty flower."

My face burned as I realized what he was doing.

I stared at flower before taking it from him.

"W-Why do you think it's pretty?" I asked.

He chuckled at my question.

"It's pretty because it makes me think about you, Yuri! I like how purple the color and how it matches your hair. And it also smells like you." He answered with a bright smile.

My blush grew to the point where I started crying.

He thinks I'm pretty…

Val is always nice and cares about me.

And that's why I love him...

Before he got the chance to ask me what was wrong, I tackled him into a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're my best friend, Val!"

He hugged me back.

"Let's always be together!"

Always...


	7. Hearts(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

We separated from each other, catching our breaths.

Y-Yuri…?

Did we just…

Kiss?

It feels so right for me to kiss her.

My heart says that this is what it has wanted.

The ticklish feeling in my heart feels fulfilled now.

It doesn't feel incomplete or off in any way.

Right now…

Right now… I feel at peace.

"Val…?" She whispered, panting softly.

We stared into each other's eyes, marveling at different colors and shapes of our own.

In Yuri's purple eyes, I saw something that was very familiar.

In those eyes, I saw her.

But this wasn't the same Yuri, no, this Yuri was a lot more vibrant and happier.

She was a lot like Haru, and I was there to witness everything she did.

How did I know her from long ago?

It's so bizarre…

I can't even remember something as important as this!

Hell, I can't even confirm that I knew her from long ago...

She leaned in to continue our kiss, but I stopped her by putting my finger on her lips.

"Yuri… You need to wait a bit. Kissing a guy like this is going to weird him out, you know." I stated, smirking from how happy I felt.

To my surprise, Yuri pouted, almost in the same manner as Monika and Haru.

The way she pouted looked as if she was going to cry, and I couldn't help but feel to oblige her.

However, for some reason, I had a tolerance for her pouts.

"That isn't fair! Why can't we kiss again? I am not feeling weirded out! How come you are?!" She whined, which made me smile.

If this were Yuri from a couple of days ago, she would have been a tomato.

And her "new" behavior feels… nostalgic.

Wow, that's a paradox.

"Look, you surprised me there when you said to close your eyes. I thought you would like it. Maybe, I don't know, tickle, smack, or poke me, but not a kiss! I was not ready for a kiss! How else was I supposed to react?" I reasoned, to the uncharacteristically hectic Yuri.

She took a moment to process the information and decided to close her eyes.

Thankfully she's still reasonable.

I expected her to take a couple of deep breaths, but I was surprised when she opened her eyes again.

When she did open her eyes, I noticed they were focused and energetic, a sharp contrast to how her purple eyes would be.

Huh? What's with her eyes?

And in an instant, she pinned me against the wall.

What the-

" **You're supposed to react by kissing me back. Can't you tell by how much I wanted you when we kissed?** "

She pressed her chest against me, and I felt her move up to my ear.

" **I held this in for a very long time, my Love. And all I can think of is releasing it with you.** "

Her hot breath tickled my ear, which also sent shivers down my spine.

I felt as if I was going to collapse under her weight.

The heat from her breath grew and grew as she got closer and closer.

With a slow inhale, she bit into my ear.

My eyes widened with this bite, and I jolted from it.

With my jolt, my hands found a way to her bottom, to which she moaned softly.

She put her leg on me and bit down with more force, causing me to groan.

Yuri then pulled away from my ear and stared directly at my eyes.

The collected, calm Yuri was nothing of a far cry compared to what she was now.

This Yuri looked crazed, grinning from ear to ear, hyperventilating and sweating.

" **You're mine."**

And with that, she slammed her lips into mine.

In the corner of my mind, I told myself that this isn't right for me to do.

But I decided, what's the worst that can happen?

I gripped her firmly, and I complied.

* * *

"Val!" I heard a girl wail.

Huh?

I turned around to see the girl in question.

Yuri?!

The younger Yuri settled on the floor, crying and clutching her knee.

I immediately rushed to her side, ready to comfort her.

"Oh my gosh! Yuri, what happened?" I exclaimed, worried for my friend.

She could only rub her eyes.

"I tripped and hurt my knee!" She sobbed.

I looked around, searching for a specific flower.

The faint yet familiar purple filled my vision, to which I focused on.

I grabbed a few and presented them, Yuri.

"Look, Yuri! I found your favorite flowers! Lilacs! Now don't move okay? I'm going to need you to hold them!" I ordered, hatching a plan to make things better.

"O-Okay…" She sniffed, feeling a bit better.

Her sniffs gave me the determination to make her happy again.

And so I knelt and motioned her onto my back.

She was confused but complied.

I then stood up and adjusted to her weight before proceeding to carry the girl.

"W-Wha-? V-Val, what are you doing?" She exclaimed, rightfully shocked.

I turned to her with a warm smile to ease her.

"Don't worry, Yuri! I'll get you home and fixed up in no time, okay?" I assured her.

I then heard a giggle coming from behind me.

"You're best! Okay, I trust you, Val!" She enthusiastically claimed. "You wanna know why?"

"Hmm?" I let out interested in why she trusts me so much.

I felt her shift on my back and moved up to my ear.

"It's because you're my Love, Val. That's why!"

Her Love?

What does that mean?

Oh well.

"Um, okay, then... So let's get a move on!"

* * *

"Yuri?"

Is that girl and Yuri the same person?

…

I have to find out.

I suddenly broke our kiss, much to Yuri's dismay.

She gave me an aggressive growl from how forcibly I pulled away.

" **Why did you pull away?!** "

I don't have time for this right now.

When my mind is set towards something, I will do whatever it takes to get it.

Now, what did Haru do that knocked Yuri out of…

Well, whatever this is.

The bite on my ear was still warm, so I lightly touched it.

Oh yeah!

I glanced towards her ear and remembered what she did.

With a fake-out, she flinched and allowed me to yanked her ear down.

"Ow, ow, ow!" She yelped in pain, reverting her to normal.

To be honest, I didn't expect this to work that well.

I pulled my hand away from her ear and allowed her to straighten out.

She rubbed her head and looked up to me.

"Mm..." She mumbled absent-mindedly, her mind still foggy from waking up.

"Yuri?" I called, attempting to catch her attention.

Once she had regained her composure, she looked at me.

Her eyes darted across my face before tapping her fingers together in anguish.

"I-I'm sorry if I caught you off guard, Val! I'm sorry for pinning you to the wall, and I am sorry for kissing you again! I-I…"

She balled her fists up and took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to try and show you how thankful I am. It's because of you that I can be more confident in myself, and I can never truly thank you enough for that," She confessed, her voice carried a tone of confidence I rarely saw in her.

Wow, she's not regretful of what she did…

Impressive.

"First thing's first, I'm going to have to correct you on a few things, Yuri." I began with a smile.

She looked up to me with a bewildered look.

"E-Eh?"

I couldn't help but chuckle from her adorable reaction.

"Ahaha! First, don't apologize. The kiss was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. And I…"

I turned around and cleared my throat.

"I liked how bold you were a few moments ago. It's an interesting side to see out of you, Yuri, and I kinda want to see more of that…"

I then turned to her, to which she looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"If… that's what you want. Then I will let myself go for you. I will be confident for you, Val!" She declared.

I gave her some well-deserved headpats.

"I am glad that you see that way, Yuri. Anyway, you don't have to thank me in any way. Just watching you grow as a person and spending time with you as a whole is rewarding enough." I assured. "I'm glad that you've developed as a person, Yuri. I am so very proud of you."

She rubbed her arm and tried her hardest to keep her gaze at me.

"You're proud of me…? You flatter me, Val…" Yuri answered, embarrassed by the response I had given her.

With a smile, I pulled away from her head.

"Now…" I began to say.

The purple-haired girl picked up on my change of tone and almost immediately donned a worried look.

"Y-Yes?" She asked, now beginning to fiddle with her hair.

Now's my chance to ask her this!

"Um…"

Shit! How do I even start a conversation with this question?

"Hey, Yuri! Yeah, I just wanted to know if you remember us having been childhood sweethearts? Because I think I just had a flashback of us as kids while we were kissing!"

"I-I…" I stuttered.

What do I say?

How can I ask her such a strange question?

I looked down at my feet.

"Val. Look at me." Yuri said softly, placing her hand on my chin, lifting it so I could face her.

When our eyes met, I saw the love and compassion in her eyes, as if I saw them for the first time.

"You can tell me anything. I will never judge you or think less of you for speaking your mind. Do you know why?" She asked me, her nervousness gone once again.

"Why?" I asked.

She let out a deep breath and smiled.

"Because you showed me the same kindness, remember? You never turned your back on me once. Even when I was so sure that you would grow sick and tired of me like everyone else, from how I was so slow to change... You stuck with me and encouraged me to be myself, my real self! Now I think it's time you knew that I would never leave your side, just like you never left mine." She declared firmly.

Now it was my turn to be flustered.

"Wow. I don't know what to say, Yuri…" I replied with a glowing face.

To think she can catch me off guard like this!

"How about you start by saying what you said you needed to get off your chest?" She said with a smile.

"It's…" I began, but then the realization hit me.

I can't tell her anymore...

All this changes our dynamic completely!

What I need to do for now is to see if she remembers anything.

"It's... nothing. It's just a bunch of thoughts that I don't think I can explain. I'll tell you first thing when I get it, alright?" I assured with a smile.

"O-Of course. Tell me when you're ready," replied Yuri with a smile.

I couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't quite believe me, though.

"For sure. Now, we should get you home, don't you think?" I asked.

"You know, you don't have to, Val. I'd understand if you wanted to hang out with your friends. I don't want to be a burden constantly…" Yuri said, wearing a crestfallen expression.

It's like she's always switching from different versions of herself!

Argh, she's so cute when she does that!

I could feel my expression soften at the sound of the girl's hopeful tone. It hurt that she expected me to leave her. What hurt me even further was that she expected it from me of all people.

"Yuri…" I began, but I was interrupted by her.

She needs to know that I would never do that to people I call friends.

Or this case…

Something more.

"I know, Val. I know you'd never leave my side…" She said with a melancholic smile.

She then looked away.

"But… there's a part of me… a part of me keeps saying that you'll eventually wake up and stop wasting your time on me. That I'm just a burden that's way too clingy or way too needy." She said, her voice barely audibly.

She started to shake.

As I was about to ask her what was wrong, I realized that her cheeks were dripping with something.

Tears...

"I can't help but believe it sometimes! Especially when there are way better people out there! Every time I walk into the literature club, I feel as if I don't deserve to be there. My friends all have their specialties that separate each other… Monika is refined and cunning, Sayori is bubbly and outgoing, Natsuki is strong and confident… But for me? What do I have? Timidity and low self-esteem? You should be around people that are better than me... People that aren't as broken..." She finished, now allowing herself to breakdown.

I was stunned.

I knew that Yuri struggled with self-confidence, but I never thought it would be this bad.

"Yuri."

I embraced her.

She didn't hug back.

"Yuri, listen to me. No matter how much you tell yourself that you're nothing, I will always tell you otherwise. No matter how much you tell me that, I will always, ALWAYS tell you that isn't the case. Even if the world tells you that you don't deserve anything, I will tell you that you do."

"Val…" She whimpered. "B-But-"

"No, know I would never leave you, right? Regardless of how broken you think you are, I would never do that. You aren't as broken you seem to think you are, and you are a lot more special compared to the other girls in the club. What I see you in you is beauty, elegance, patience, and, most of all, passion. The way you jump whenever we talk about tea, books, or anything, you come to life. And I want you to remember that. Always." I said, looking her in the eyes.

I could see the hurt and doubt in them, clear as day.

But slowly and surely, I saw hope.

I hope that she would come to terms with who she is.

"Plus, my friends can wait. Remember when I said I would walk you home every day? I plan to stay true to my word, you know? I can't let anything happen to you, especially if I can help it." I declared as I playfully nuzzled her head, eliciting a small giggle from her.

"My Love…"

Yuri then let go of me and wrapped herself around my arm, catching me off-guard.

"H-Huh?" was all that came out. This provoked a giggle from the introverted girl.

"I suppose I'll have to take you up on that offer, then. Please take care of me from now on, Val," She said, followed by a peck on the cheek.

My face immediately burned up.

"O-Of course, Yuri."

And with that, we began our way to Yuri's home, hand in hand, enjoying each other's company. After a few minutes, we finally arrived, where we were met by Yuri's mother once again.

"Hello, you two~!" she exclaimed, unfazed by our intimacy.

"Hello Mrs. Ikeda, it's nice to see you again." I greeted as we made our way towards her.

"Oh, Val! You don't have to be so formal with me! Just call me Ivanka, okay?" she told me, waving her hand.

"A-Alright," I answered, although I knew it was physically impossible for me to call her by her first name.

"I see you were able to bring Val back, here again, Yuri~" Ivanka teased.

"M-Mother! He offered to! I simply couldn't turn him down!" Yuri answered, her face turning beet red.

She simply couldn't turn me down?

I snickered at the thought.

"Oh, really?" I teased, feeling a smirk appear on my face.

"W-Wha-? Shut up, Valkyrie!" She exclaimed adorably.

"Aww! You two bicker like an old married couple!" Ivanka squealed in glee, clapping her hands.

"Mother!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at Yuri's flustered state. The fact that Yuri and her Mom were opposites also added to my entertainment. As much as I was enjoying myself, though, I decided I had to start heading home.

"I'll see you around, Miss-"

"Ivanka!"

"R-Right. I'll see you around, Miss Ivanka."

I then turned to Yuri.

"I'll see you on Monday, okay, Yuri?" I said, waving goodbye.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, catching my shoulder.

"...would you-" before she finished, though, she seemed to realize that her mother was there.

Both of our eyes turned to her. However, this didn't faze Ivanka, worsening the awkward tension.

"Don't let me stop you, go on!" she pushed expectantly.

At this point, Yuri and I were blushing like there was no tomorrow.

"..."

We stayed there, saying nothing, avoiding eye contact with one another, including Ivanka.

Someone shoot me!

This continued for what seemed like an eternity until the woman finally let up. She gave a pout and proceeded to make her way inside, muttering under her breath.

"...she better...him...hmph!"

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Yuri apologized.

I let with an awkward laugh.

Please, I'm serious. Someone do it!

"It's fine, now, what were you um, saying?"

"W-Well, I wanted to know if you were busy tomorrow?"

Wait for what?

"Not that I know. Why what's up?" I asked, not sure where she was going.

"D-Do you want to do something then?" she asked me, and it finally clicked.

"Oh! Sure! Do you have a place in mind?" I asked her, ecstatic at the idea of spending more time with Yuri.

"I-I'm afraid not. I was hoping we could just...let the chips fall where they may…" she responded mysteriously.

Hmm. There was definitely something else in her tone.

"Great! Then...it's a date!" I said to her, smiling at her.

"O-Of course! See you tomorrow then, Val!"

We waved each other goodbye, and I started my walk home while she disappeared behind her front door.

* * *

After bidding Val farewell, I closed the door, barely being able to contain my excitement.

Okay, Yuri! Now that you've landed a date, you have to find a way to confess to him!

"So?"

I turned behind me to find my mother looking at me expectantly.

"He said, yes!" I exclaimed, squealing with glee.

My mother followed suit, crushing me in a hug.

"Well, where are you planning on taking him?" she asked.

I pondered for a moment. I hadn't really thought I would make it this far.

"I... don't know yet, if I'm to be honest, mother," I admitted.

"Oh, Yuri. C'mon! You must have SOMETHING in mind!" My mother insisted.

Hmm...well, it probably wasn't a good idea to ask him out without having any plans. I need to stop by the bookstore, so maybe we can start there… catch a movie afterward...but is there anything good right now? Not only that, but I don't know what type of genre he is into...what if I choose the movie and he doesn't like it? Then he won't want to spend any more time with me, and I'll lose hi-

"Yuri." my mother addressed firmly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I don't want any of that," she told me.

"I-" I began, only to be interrupted.

"I know your thoughts are giving you a hard time. Your expression kind of gives it away. Now, listen to me, okay? I want you to ignore all that. You're going to come up with an amazing date for you and Val to enjoy, you got it? I know you're smart, sweetie. You'll figure it out. I know you will." She finished, giving me a reassuring smile.

She's right. I've no time to waste thinking about what could go wrong.

I could feel a grin start to grow on my face.

"I'll go see what I can wear then! I'm going to be turning some heads tomorrow!" I exclaimed, making my way upstairs with newfound enthusiasm.

"That's my girl!" I heard my say from downstairs.

I am going to show Val the time of his life!


	8. Fall(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed.

I had stayed up the night before, struggling to find an outfit I was sure I looked good in, as well as finding any movie theaters that were near the bookstore, so I was surprised.

Nonetheless, I was ready for my date with Val.

"Date with Val"~!

I thought giddily, as I still had yet to wrap my head around that fact.

Never had I imagined that I would go on a date with such a wonderful person that for the first time, had shown me unrivaled kindness and acceptance.

I truly couldn't thank Val enough for that.

Now that I was certain I could finally have some time alone with him, my mind blanked on what I could do.

I had dreamt of this moment for some time now, but when the opportunity presented itself, my mind gave me nothing.

This is getting frustrating!

Come on, not now of all times!

I have been fantasizing about this basically since the first time we talked!

There has to be something we can do in the movies!

Infinite possibilities in a dark room sitting next to each other and I don't have anythi-

Oh!

My cheeks felt hot, I couldn't help but cup them.

I felt a sly grin start to form as an idea hit me.

I'm going to enjoy this.

There's a lot of possibilities as to what will happen in a room where everyone is only paying attention to the screen above…

Too many, maybe.

…

Why am I getting some weird deja vu all of a sudden?

It's as if we went to the movies before.

But when?

I can't recall the last time Val and I went to the movies, but for some reason we did.

And it feels so long ago.

I shook my head to rid myself on those strange thoughts.

Focus, Yuri!

* * *

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

I paced around my room restlessly, trapped in my own thoughts.

I was so distracted that I hadn't even left my room after waking up.

All I'd done was just change clothes and hover around my phone, generally not accomplishing much.

Get a hold of yourself Val!

We're just going to go to the bookstore and walk around a bit around the plaza!

Everything's going to be fine as long as I don't screw up.

But still, why am I so nervous?!

We're just hanging out while she gets something she needs from the bookstore!

I checked my phone for the one-hundredth time to see if Yuri had called or messaged me yet. Nothing yet.

I probably scared her off saying it was a date.

Damnit!

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have known that I shouldn't touch those topics around Yuri!

I continued to scold myself until I heard my phone ring.

The minute it went off I fumbled with it until I was able to check the caller ID.

It's Yuri!

Shit, act natural me!

I quickly answered the call.

"Hey there, sexy."

…

…

…

What the fuck me?!

"Oh, sorry I thought had the phone on speaker. Val, are you there?"

Thank goodness she didn't hear that.

How the fuck did I mess that up?!

A simple "hello" would have done the trick, but saying: "Hey there, sexy." is obviously out of character for me!

"I-I'm here." I stammered.

She let out a dreamy sigh, making my heart skip a beat.

This feeling…

Is this what they call love?

"There you are. I'll be ready in about twenty minutes, is that okay?" I heard Yuri ask over the phone.

"Y-Yes, of course! I'll start making my way there then." I replied.

Why is my heart racing so fast?!

It's like that time where we kissed…

Even though we didn't directly confess, the kiss made up for it, right?

If that's the case, then why can't I stay calm?!

"Val are you okay? You sound a little out of breath," asked Yuri. "Are you tired?"

Even though we were speaking on the phone, I could sense her worried tone.

"Huh? Um… yeah! I'm fine, don't worry Yuri." I replied hastily.

I didn't want her thinking I wouldn't be able to go.

"Val, if you're not feeling well, we ca-" she started, but before she could finish I interrupted.

No...

I am not letting this chance getaway!

"No!" I yelled, causing her to shuffle.

For some reason, I need her around me.

If she leaves, then my world wouldn't be the same anymore...

"No, I'm fine! Don't worry too much. I was just a bit out of breath from…"

What the hell do I say here?

"From being so nervous around you, cause I have a crush on you?"

I can't say that!

My eyes darted across the room for any excuses I can make up.

In the corner of my eye, I saw some dumbbells that I left out.

"Well, I was doing some Romanian deadlifts! But I think I pushed myself self a little more than usual. Otherwise, I'm fine, trust me." I assured.

I lied to Yuri...

Yeah, it's something petty, but it's also kind of an important white lie too.

I feel bad lying to her, but I also didn't want her to find out how stressed I was from overthinking.

"So I'll see you there soon, alright?" I told her, and we exchanged goodbyes before hanging up.

Soon after, I grabbed my things and made myself something quick for breakfast, not wanting to waste any more time than I already had.

I then made my way to Yuri's house.

Did I brush my hair before leaving?

Damn it, I don't remember!

Maybe I should have put some deodorant on after I showered?

Is what I'm wearing even appropriate for what we're doing? Maybe I went too casual-

"Oh! Val! There you are!" I heard a voice say. I looked up to find myself in front of Yuri's house.

What the…

How did I get here so soon?

Still searching for the voice's source, I found Yuri's Mom outside, accompanied by what I'm assuming was her husband.

"Val? That's him?" He asked.

That's strange…

I can somehow recognize him.

That man has to be Yuri's dad.

"Yes! Hasn't he grown up to be such a handsome young man, dear?" Yuri's Mom gushed.

Wait, what?

Grown-up to be such a handsome young man?

She's assuming we met before...

I walked over to the man and held out my hand. He did the same. We shook hands and I introduced myself.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ikeda. As you've already heard, I'm Val Jones." I greeted with a smile.

He only nodded instead of returning the smile.

"You've got a firm grip, Jones. I like that. It's good for any important meeting to show strength. Now, let me tell you something…" He told me, lowering his voice.

This won't be good, right?

"I don't usually condone letting young men take my little girl out, but since it's you, I'll make an exception. However, one wrong move, and I will not hesitate to deal with you myself. Am I clear?" He asked firmly with a scowl across his face.

I immediately frowned and gave him a stern look as well.

"Oh, don't you start, dear! We both know Val here wouldn't do anything unreasonable!" I heard Yuri's mom say from behind him.

Alright, Val. Now's your chance to get her Dad to like you. Don't screw this up.

"I have no intentions of making bad moves, nor do I want to. And, I completely understand. Rest assured, there will be no funny business happening today." I confidently told him.

Seriously, where the hell do I even think about this?

I thought said what came to mind and tried to make it confident as well as honorable.

He raised an eyebrow as if not expecting such a response from me.

"Aww! That's adorable! He's has grown into an honorable young man!" I heard from behind him.

Mr. Ikeda put up an uneasy frown and turned around.

"Honey, please…"

His attention then came back to me.

"Don't be so rough on him. He was always a good child. Never made any messes and always took responsibility even when it was clearly Yuri's fault."

He sighed.

"You're right… I guess I am being overprotective. Maybe a bit of my father is starting to rub off me."

The man then turned around.

"I apologize for my first impression, Jones. I always knew you were a sensible young man, even when you were a child. Now go show my daughter a good time, alright?" He said as they both headed towards their car.

Why do they keep acting as if I met them when I was a kid?

Does that mean Yuri was that girl from my memories?

"I understand, and there is no need to apologize. Every father should be wary of any dates their child brings over right? It was nice meeting you Mr. Ikeda, and it was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Ike-"

She playfully rolled her eyes.

"Ivanka, I want to at least keep the illusion that I'm still young, dear."

I gave her an awkward nod.

"Err… right. It was nice seeing you!" I said as they drove away.

I then turned around and made my way to their front door.

Alright, you've got this Val. Let's do this.

I rang the doorbell.

* * *

I was heading down the stairs when I heard the door ring.

My heart pounded when I realized who it was.

He's here!

I quickly made my way to the door, excited about opening it.

However, as I was about to open it, my body froze.

Does what I'm wearing really look good on me? It's not something I'd usually wear…

What if he doesn't like i- No!

I ignored my thoughts and opened the door to find Val waiting on the other side.

He was dressed in black jeans and a white shirt, with nothing else too distinctive to note.

All of a sudden, I became aware of my face starting to burn up.

Even though he was dressed in something as simple as that, looking at him made my heart skip a beat.

"W-Whoa…" He muttered.

W-What?

Why is he so surprised to see me?

Is it because of what I am wearing?

The moment he said that my mind exploded with self-conscious thoughts, but I was able to push the thoughts away.

Enough of these thoughts!

Alright, I should probably calm down before he notices.

He looks pretty nervous too…

His body language says it all.

His hands are in his pockets, his posture is a bit more closed, he won't make eye contact, and...is he blushing?

I put on a warm smile to help ease him and opened the door further.

"Good afternoon, Val. Are you ready to go?" I asked, still keeping my smile.

This seemed to snap him out of his trance.

"Hmm? Um, yeah. Let's get a move on, shall we?" He asked in a flustered state, looking away quickly.

Is...something wrong…?

"Val? Is everything okay?" I asked gently, wanting to avoid coming off as brusque.

He took a deep breath and looked up to me.

"Wait, what? Of course! Why… wouldn't it be?" He asked, wearing a confused expression.

I gave him a worried frown.

"Well...I thought it seemed like you didn't want to be here, judging by your body language and the fact that you won't look me in the eye…" I admitted, looking away from myself.

I hadn't noticed that I had started fidgeting with my hair, which was a nervous habit of mine.

This caught Val's attention.

"No no, it's nothing like that, Yuri! I just…" He faltered, hesitant to continue.

He's being very suspicious.

And it was like that ever since this morning.

When I called him he behaved so irregularly and dismissively.

He wasn't like that at all before.

But he was when…

When I kissed him.

My heart sank at the sudden realization.

Val is starting to have regrets over his decision.

It explains everything!

He's nervous because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings and is struggling to find the right words!

We kissed…

But that doesn't mean he said he liked me.

He only kissed because it was the only thing that wouldn't make me burst into tears…

Val knew that I was vulnerable there and he didn't want to hurt me.

And...

Oh.

So I guess I was right all along…

He doesn't want to have anything to do with me…

I could feel my expression start to mirror my feelings.

Why didn't I trust my feeling a long time ago?

My lips started to quiver uncontrollably.

Why did I expect so much from this?

As much as I tried, I couldn't hide my despair, as I felt my smile grow into a look of dejection.

Everything was too perfect, why would I deserve someone like him?

Val immediately caught on, and a look of surprise crossed his face.

He probably thinks I am creepy, even though he says otherwise.

I put on my best brave face and tried my hardest not to break in front of him as I prepared myself for what I would say next.

He could be a good match for someone else but me.

"I-I understand. If you'd like, we can just cancel today's plans. I wouldn't want to bother you more than I already have. Have a good evening." I told him, turning around and starting to close the door behind me.

But something within me stopped me in my tracks.

There was a small voice that said otherwise.

"Wait, Yuri!" he exclaimed, stopping the door with his hand.

Everything he has said before is true.

Why do I refuse to believe in what he said to me yesterday?

"Yuri, please! It's not what you think at all!" Val continued.

Not what I...think?

He let out a heavy sigh as if ready say something heavy.

"The reason I'm having trouble looking you in the eye is that…"

Val then gave me a smile, that same smile that always made my heart flutter no matter how dorky it looked.

He turned me around and held my hands.

"You look stunning, Yuri."

* * *

"I've never really seen you outside of your pajamas and school uniform, and seeing you like this is… breathtaking." I admitted.

I looked up to Yuri and saw her face on the verge of exploding.

There's that steam coming from her head.

And I was also kind of expecting her to be flustered.

After all, wearing such a cute black dress is enough to fluster me.

For some reason, it's also kind of nostalgic.

It's as if I have seen her wear a black dress like that.

That girl in my memories wore a black dress but didn't wear anything like what Yuri is wearing now.

Instead, Yuri is wearing something a lot more… mature.

All of a sudden, the flustered girl looked to me with a grin, still blushing from my initial comments.

"How so, Val?" She asked.

She's trying to flip the tables here.

I can't always be nervous around her.

It's time for me to pull my own weight as well.

With a warm smile, I decided to speak my mind.

"If you want to know, then fine. The dress showcases your long legs, contrasts with your purple hair, and makes your chest look more prominent." I nonchalantly said.

Wait chest?

Gosh, did I really have to say that?

Now I sound like a hormonal teenager that think-

" **So… You like my chest?** " I heard her whisper.

Eeep!

I looked up to her and saw her eyes become more and more focused on me.

Stay calm me.

If I want to get out of this without any awkward mishaps, then I will show her confident I can be!

Here goes.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" I rhetorically asked with a smirk.

Shit, shit, shit…

I am actually so scared right now!

Yuri subtly puffed her chest and playfully bit onto her finger.

" **I think you do, I don't understand what you mean, Val.** "

Her sultry voice was wearing my defenses down considerably.

Does…

Does she want me to touch her?

I leaned in from the alluring offer.

No!

I pulled away and shook my head.

We aren't really that close to do that.

Especially since we became a couple yesterday.

"Look Yuri. You and I both know that your body is pretty… developed. The dress you're wearing right can get the best out of your appearance. What I am trying to say is… you're cute and also pretty damn hot in that dress."

Her eyes twinkled with mirth as she tried to keep her ground.

But instead, she grabbed my arm and hugged it.

My arm felt cushioned between her pillows.

What the…

"I knew you would like it!" She squeaked, followed by a peck on the cheek.

Is Yuri even wearing a bra?!

I turned to her and was about to ask her question.

But instead, I saw her adorable little smile.

Ah, fuck it.

Bra or not bra, she's in a better mood now.

Now let's get this show on the road.

"Well, I didn't know you would get the pervert out of me that easily. So good on you. Anyway, let's get moving."

With her clinging onto my arm, we started walking out of the neighborhood and into the city.

"Okay! So where do you want to go first, Yuri?"

She turned to me with a content smile.

"I want to go to the bookstore!" The usually timid girl exclaimed.

This is the Yuri that I like to see.

She's so much happier and admittedly, a lot more cuter.

"Let's make our way there then." I said with a smile.

We continued walking, hand in hand, enjoying each other's company until we reached the plaza, which contained the bookstore Yuri was so eager about.

I wonder what she's going to get. Come to think of it, I've never really noticed what genre she's into. Guess I will today.

Once the bookstore was within view, Yuri quickly dragged me inside, where her personality did a complete one-eighty.

She was like a kid in a candy shop, running up to different shelves and jumping all around.

"Oh my goodness! I can't believe there's another book out in that series!"

"Hmm…maybe I should get this book instead..?"

"It's so hard to choose just one!"

Cute.

Just too cute.

Before I knew it, we were on the second floor, skimming through the horror section.

Yuri's into horror?

I kinda figured she'd be more into non-fiction.

Well, I shouldn't be surprised.

She kept her giddy smile while taking out a book and reading it.

I'm always learning something new about this girl.

Judging by what's been grabbing her attention though, she's into the more gruesome and surreal type of horror.

"Yuri?" I called.

She continued reading the book.

Huh?

"Yuri?" I called again, with a little bit more volume to my voice.

I tightened my stare at her and tried to figure out what was wrong.

Within seconds I was able to figure it out.

Her purple eyes scanned the book meticulously, as if all her thought processes were dedicated to the book only.

Maybe I can call her whatever I like now…

Hehe!

With a cunning smirk, I leaned against the shelves.

'Hey, sexy."

That immediately brought Yuri out of the book.

Oh shit.

Just play it cool me.

"Um… that book has a warning that literally says that there is gore involved, how are you not fazed by it?"

She looked up to me with a raised eyebrow.

"Hm?"

I smiled at her, knowing that the world around her was completely shut off.

Good, she has no idea.

Phew…

"Oh! Sorry, Val! I didn't mean to ignore you, I-"

I put my finger on her lips.

"Nah, it's okay. I understand what you mean, silly. Everyone has something that will make em go to another world for a while. And it looks like books can do that for you. That happens to me when I read something interesting." I explained.

In an instant, she calmed down.

But almost instantly, she crushed me in a hug.

"You're the best, Val!"

I felt my lungs getting crushed by her hug.

"Argh! Yeah, so I have been told!" I replied, trying to get the Russian girl off of me.

Her chest…

It's so massive!

She cooed as she gripped me, greatly enjoying my presence.

And so, I stopped resisting and hugged her back.

After a couple of minutes, she pulled away with a smile.

"Do you want to know what I am reading?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, I do. But what's with the gruesome tags on the book? You're into that?"

She shook her head slightly.

"Not really… It's just that this author's writing style is very descriptive. The way he writes makes me feel as if I am there in that world and experiencing the horror there. Although, I wish I weren't there… Something about his style of writing makes it addicting to read over and over again, despite the gruesome descriptions in the book."

Hmm, is that so?

I started to zone out a little.

Gruesome descriptions and the like isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I guess I don't mind it.

After all, who doesn't like a good scare?

"…right Val?" Yuri asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Huh?

She was looking at me as if anticipating an answer.

How much did she even say?

Damn it!

What can I say now?

"I-I'm not sure, I think it's pretty subjective…?" I answered..

She seemed to take in my comment, her expression turning into one of deep thoughts.

I'll never get tired of that face.

The way she furrowed her eyebrows, as well as how her eyes glint with inquisitiveness.

It's adorable.

"Of course, why hadn't I thought of that? The whole concept of horror itself is subjective, so it would make sense that all books pertain to different tastes. I must have simply exhausted a certain concept." She deducted.

In a span of a couple of seconds, she was able to jump to that?

"I never pegged you for a horror fan, Yuri. I figured you'd be into anything but that." I admitted.

She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Well, you're not wrong…" She began.

"If I am to be honest, I surprised myself when I noticed that I had begun to take an interest in the genre. But it wasn't hard to know why. I just find it fascinating how much horror can captivate, as well as bring out one of the most primal instincts known to man, whether it be from short folklore, or an extensive story the length of a book. The way in which one can easily be transported into the world of the story from imagery alone hooked me from the beginning." she finished.

Whoa. She's pretty passionate.

I was speechless. She'd caught me off guard with her answer, and as a result, my mind blanked on what to say next.

"Wow."

Was all that came out.

This made Yuri realize how much she'd spoken, and naturally, distressed her.

"I'm sorry! I've spoken way too much, haven't I?" She asked while fidgeting uncontrollably.

"Haha! Not at all!" I assured. "It's just...I can never grow tired of seeing you speak your mind. It's always a sight to behold, seeing a mild mannered girl like you speak so passionately. I love it. You've come a long way." I told her.

She visibly brightened up with that.

"Well, I'm glad you like it, Val. After all, it's thanks to you that I can show this part of me." Yuri replied with a warm smile.

That smile…

It's always makes my heart jump.

"I'm just glad I could help, Yuri." I said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek, effectively startling Yuri.

What did I…?

Oh shit.

"W-Wait, I'm sorry Yuri, I wasn't thinkin-" I began, but I was met with a warm sensation on my lips. My vision was filled with Yuri, and I realized what was happening.

Yuri's kissing me!

…

Mmm Jasmine...

Just as quick as it had come, it was gone, much to my dismay.

"And I'm glad it was you who helped, my love." Yuri said sweetly.

Love…?

That's my pet name?

"Now let's get going, there's a place I want to show you!" She exclaimed, grabbing my hand and leading me towards the first floor, where we then proceeded to pay.

Yuri let out cute giggles here and there, showing that she was very excited.

I like it how Yuri is a lot more expressive with herself.

I'm glad that we met.

Shortly after, we made our way to the place that Yuri had mentioned.

A tea shop?

Well, she does like tea a lot.

"Is this it?" I asked her, which she responded to with a simple nod.

Huh…

"It's a place I often come to if I wish to have a good time reading. I just...wanted to share a moment here with you if that's okay." She explained.

I shrugged.

"Well, I don't see why not." I said.

We found a table next to a window, where we sat and enjoyed the view of the plaza, which had begun to light up, seeing as the sun was at its peak.

A few moments later, the waitress came to take our order. Since I wasn't as experienced as Yuri when it came to tea, she decided to help me choose.

"I suggest you try the jasmine tea. It's really soothing, and it has a lot of mental benefits." she suggested.

"Oh! Really? Then I guess I'll give it a shot." I replied.

"Two jasmine teas please." Yuri asked the waitress.

"Coming right up!"

And with that, she was gone. Minutes later she arrived with our tea, which apparently included complimentary biscuits.

"Here, you go, you two. These are on the house. I hope you're enjoying your date so far!" said the waitress before making her way to another customer.

"So, Yuri! Is there any reason as to why you like tea so much?" I asked.

Yuri smiled at the question. She seemed to be reminiscing about something pleasant.

"Yes, actually. Although it's kind of embarrassing, the reason why I love tea so much is because when I was younger, my mother took me and a friend to a tea shop. Although my mind is still rather fuzzy on certain details about him, and I never saw him again shortly after that, it's one of the many pleasant memories I have with that person." she told me.

Huh.

Weird, I feel like I know this.

Maybe she's told me before?

"I see. Well, I know how you feel. I sometimes remember a childhood friend, and it brings back a lot of good memories. Thing is, I can't really seem to remember who she is exactly." I added.

Not to mention that I have some suspicions on who it might be…

"Well maybe one day, we can finally figure out who those people were." Yuri comforted.

"Cheers to that."

One we were finished, I paid (much to Yuri's displeasure, as she insisted on paying herself) , and we made our way to our past stop before the movie theater.

Yuri had suggested we go to the park to kill time, since the movie we were watching wasn't for another forty-five minutes.

We enjoyed the scenic walk, taking in the light show given by the fountain, as well as the general tranquility of the place.

After walking for a while, we stopped for some ice cream, although Yuri suggested we share.

I couldn't help but get a little flustered, but quickly dismissed it, not wanting to bother her.

We finally reached a bench and sat there, basking in each other's warmth.

"Val?" said Yuri.

"Yeah, what's up, Yuri?" I answered.

Why is she getting so flustered all of a sudden?

"M-May I have some ice cream?" She asked, her face getting beet red.

That's it?

"Hah! Sure, but you do know that you don't have to ask, right?" I said with a laugh, handing the ice cream to her.

"R-Right, thank you." She replied.

We continued to sit there in silence, enjoying each other's company, until I heard her let out a frustrated sigh. I turned around to see her struggling with the melting ice cream, which had already stained her dress.

"Want me to hold it? I wouldn't want you staining your dress further." I told her.

"I would appreciate it, thank you. Although we should probably finish soon, before it stains something else." She added.

As we were trying to finish the ice cream though, my tongue came in contact with something warm.

It was sweet, and it was my first time noticing it, which was surprising, given the temperature difference.

I gave it another poke with my tongue, then all of a sudden, Yuri let out a squeal, carrying a flustered expression.

"V-Val!" she let out, avoiding eye contact.

"What?" I asked, not sure as to why she was in such a state. "What happened? Did I do something?"

She was about to say something, but hesitated, before dismissing it.

"I-It's nothing. Maybe it was just me, sorry." Yuri told me.

"If...you say so. Tell me if something's bothering you, okay Yuri?" I told her.

After all, I didn't want her being uncomfortable for something I might have done.

"Of course, Val." she said before beginning to eat more ice cream. I followed suit. Not long after I began though, my tongue came in contact with something warm yet again, making me flinch. I decided to try and see what it was, so I gave it a good lick. I then heard Yuri's breathing hitch.

Jasmine. No wonder it tastes so good…

"Hey Yuri, what flavor is this ice cream?" I asked her, but when I looked up, I was met with an unimpressed look.

"Seriously Val?" Yuri asked.

Something about her was off.

Her eyes were half closed, but I could still see the hollowness in them.

They seemed to be a familiar darker shade of purple, and were fixated onto me.

Oh.

Ooooh…

Wait a minute.

"Wait, Yuri, I didn't know!" I explained quickly. I didn't want Yuri to...act out in public.

"Well, now you do. Do you have **any** idea how hard you're making this?" She asked in a hushed tone, getting closer.

The girl closed her eyes and parted her lips.

Did she forget that she's in public?!

When she leaned in close and… was met with ice cream, much to her disappointment.

"Yuri, get a hold of yourself! We're in public!" I scolded her, hoping that my tone would help her settle down.

That seemed to agitate her even more.

" **Fuck that! I need this! Now**." She growled at me, unfazed by what I'd said.

The crazed girl grabbed my shirt and pulled me close.

Oh okay.

" **It's your fault, you know.** " She whispered sweetly in my ear, before biting it.

I let out a hitched breath from the attack.

Yuri pulled away and looked directly at me.

" **So are you going to take responsibility? Or what?** " She finished.

Yuri tried going for another kiss, but again, was met by the cold dessert.

Unfortunately, she was prepared this time, and took a bite out of the ice cream seductively, looking me in the eye.

How the fuck do you pull that off wit-

Before I could finish my thoughts though, Yuri slammed her lips into mine and immediately, her tongue began to beg for entrance, prodding at my lips desperately.

Fine, if that's how you're going to play it, then you better prepare yourself.

I am gonna win and get out of here!

Or…

Maybe we can enjoy ourselves.

I complied and the minute I opened my mouth I was met with a vigorous attack.

Her tongue ferociously enveloped mine, and I simply couldn't keep up.

I instead stood my ground, and let Yuri go on until she ran out of steam, and that was when I went for the kill.

The moment she began to relax I began my own assault.

I reciprocated all the aggressiveness she had given me and wrapped my tongue around hers, not giving her a chance to recover.

This sudden attack had caught Yuri off guard and she began to moan into my mouth.

Her moans accompanied by a sudden burst of lust had given me much more confidence, so I tossed the ice cream behind me and I began to squeeze her hips eliciting cries of pleasure from her.

Why the fuck does this taste so **good**?

I had been so wrapped up in my state of mind that I hadn't noticed that Yuri hadn't even swallowed the bite of ice cream.

The taste of jasmine infused with the rich vanilla began to permeate my mouth, and I hungered for more.

Yuri then suddenly broke our kiss leaving me disoriented, before quickly propping herself up on my lap and grabbing my face to continue our kiss without skipping a beat.

Merely seconds after we began again though Yuri stopped, leaving me disappointed.

I looked to see what was going on and I saw a red faced Yuri looking at a park official.

"Excuse me? I'm going to have to ask you two to leave. There are children here and you're making many people here uncomfortable." He told us, looking flustered himself.

I looked around to see some people wearing the same expressions.

When the hell did they get here?

Snap out of it!

Jeez, what we did we just do?!

Some of the said children's eyes were being covered by their parents, who looked at us in disgust.

"Y-Yes, of course! My apologies!" She apologized, getting off of me and bowing.

I decided to follow suit.

"We're sorry sir. We got carried away. It won't happen again." I assured. As we walked towards the exit, we noticed people around us trying to edge away, holding their kids protectively, making our faces burn with shame.

"We should probably start heading towards the movies…" I muttered to her.

"Good idea." She replied as we quickly walked away from there.

As we left the park, both of us starting to laugh uncontrollably.

We weren't sure what we were laughing at, but we guessed it was happened in the park.

"Sheesh, Yuri. I didn't think you had it in you." I snidely commented.

The purple-haired girl playfully put her hands on her hips, surprising me a little.

"Sheesh, Val. I didn't think you had it in you, either." She fired back.

I smirked at how she was getting into the swing of things.

Woo!

This is the Yuri I am looking forward to!

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, faking my pain.

She ran her hand down her hip and caressed her leg.

For some reason, it was able to arouse me.

"Even though you are very handsome, you don't seem to take the lead of things. I had to force you into doing what I wanted, love." She teased.

Ouch.

"Heh, I will take that one. To think that a sweet and seemingly innocent girl like you, would be so naughty. I guess it has to do with that body of yours, eh?" I pervertedly remarked.

Yuri was taken aback from the remark, with her face starting to catch fire.

However, she was able to bounce back and smirk right at me, despite her reddened cheeks.

"Maybe so. Maybe I am starting to feel unsatisfied whenever you aren't around. And maybe you're the only one who can sate my needs."

Her counter was able to break through my defenses.

"W-What…?" I mumbled.

She slowly walked towards me, with her hips slowly swaying side to side.

"I meant that we're going to have to finish that later, okay?" She let out with a giggle, before grabbing my hand.

Oh boy.

* * *

When we reached the theater, we decided to watch a romantic movie, despite my protests on watching an action movie like Jonathan Wock.

Yuri, impressively, resisted my pleas and continued to go through with her plans.

She's planning something but I don't know what...

We paid for our tickets, and went over to buy snacks, where we were met with a blonde clerk.

Where do I know her from?

I could've sworn I have seen her before.

"Hey there, what can I get for you hunk?" She asked with a flirtatious smile.

I couldn't help but notice that she seemed to puff out her chest as well while she said that.

Oookay, definitely weird. Not to mention the amounts of deja vu I'm getting right now…

I could hear Yuri's obvious distaste when she heard the clerk speak.

Her grip on my arm tightened.

"Please don't call me that… Anyway, we'd like two medium popco-" I began, but I was interrupted by Yuri.

"Actually, don't you think a large one for both us would be better? You already spent money while paying for our tea earlier." She suggested.

True, but I want to spoil her.

"Nah, it's cool, Yuri. I don't mind. Plus, money's not a problem if that's what you're concerned about. Let me spoil you, okay?" I assured her.

While this was unfolding the clerk hadn't taken her eyes off of me.

She was watching with amusement and she was still carrying that flirtatious smile.

"Val, I really don't think you need to spend more than you need to. That's why I'm suggesting we share. You can spoil me later, okay?" Yuri insisted.

I sighed.

"Alright, fine. Whatever you say, then Yuri." I relented.

The clerked clicked her tongue and rested her elbows on the counter.

"Well if money is a problem, I'll give you an offer, 'Val', was it?" The clerk offered.

I felt Yuri's arm tightened even more.

"No, I don't think w-" Yuri started, but she was cut off.

This agitated her further.

"I'll give you two medium popcorn for the price of one…"

That's a steal!

"Wait, really?" I asked, getting ready to pull out my wallet.

She smirked devilishly.

"If you go out with me." She finished.

What?

This caused Yuri to growl animalistically at the clerk.

Great.

More ways to anger Yuri.

"Well ma'am, that's a generous and all, but-"

She giggled, cutting me off.

"The name's Hina, sweetie."

Yeah, I'm not gonna call you by your name.

"Um, right. Listen, I appreciate the offer and all, but I'm afraid I'm-"

Yuri growled again and pulled me away from the counter.

"Already taken. He's mine! **So back off, sweetie.** " Yuri cut off with a dark undertone to her voice.

Will everyone stop interrupting?

"Well, I think that's for him to decide, don't you think?" Hina questioned, seemingly unfazed by Yuri's statement.

They both looked at me expectantly.

"You'll choose me, right Val?" Yuri questioned. "Don't you want me and me only?"

The clerk snickered at her.

"Pff… Clingy much?"

Yuri growled at the girl.

I can tell for sure that Yuri is going to tear this girl apart…

This needs to stop now.

"I'm going to have to go for the large popcorn." I said quickly.

"And a...?" I looked at Yuri for an answer.

"Large soda."

"And a large soda." I finished.

Hina gave a disappointed sigh, but she still kept her smile towards me.

She gave us our popcorn and drink.

Fortunately, that was the end of that.

"You know where to find me once you're done with clingy over here. She probably pads her chest just for you." She said with a wink as we were walking away.

Jeez, everything is going awry.

"What the fuck did you just call me, you peasant?" Yuri roared, on the verge of attacking her.

Holy fuck, Yuri's completely lost it!

This is the first time I have seen her lose her cool!

"Come on, Yuri, she's not worth your time." I said as I lead her away quickly, wanting to avoid any type of physical altercation.

She gritted her teeth and dug her nails into my arm.

"What a **bitch**. (I would've tore her apart limb for limb.)" The russian girl angrily declared.

* * *

We went into the movie theater without any hassle.

There's without a doubt that Yuri's a thirsty yandere...

Especially since I have seen how cruel and agitated she gets whenever someone flirts with me.

In an ideal relationship, I don't think Yuri should have done that.

She could've kept her cool instead…

But nothing in life can be perfect, so it doesn't matter.

I'm glad that I managed to pull Yuri out of there before it could have turned into a bloodbath.

"Hey-"

I quickly shut myself up.

Yuri's probably pissed off right now.

She should know where the seats are.

I continued to follow Yuri's lead.

We took our seats in the back row but the view was perfect.

I couldn't help but marvel at the screen, now realizing that it was a lot larger than I thought it was.

This is actually pretty good.

Holy shit!

I turned to Yuri to see her staring at me with a small smile.

"You've never seen a movie screen before, Val?" She asked.

Good, she's not angry anymore.

At least for the time being.

"I did. It's just that I've never seen the screen from all the way over here… Is there a reason why we are all the way back here?"

Her smiled tainted.

"Of course, I planned ahead. I am still hungry from the whole ordeal at the park…"

Wow…

She actually went there.

"Then eat some popcorn." I calmly replied, hoping that she would bite.

Yuri didn't bite at all.

"You know exactly what I meant." She whispered before turning her head to the film. "And I need to blow off some steam, given what happened before…"

Urgh…

I don't think I want to make out with Yuri right now.

The looks of shame we both got really got to me.

And kissing her is going to remind me of it.

Seriously, how is Yuri not even a bit fazed from all this?

Is this her true self?

Not caring about what others think and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants?

That's… That's attractive.

To think a timid girl like Yuri would have the courage to get through all that.

And so I turned to the movie screen and started eating the popcorn with Yuri.

The movie's name was in an entirely different language, something that I couldn't recognize.

"Val, do you understand the language on screen?" Yuri asked immediately after the logo came up.

I was taken aback by this.

"Not particularly… is it Russian?" I guessed. "I can't read Russian, but I can speak it just fine."

Her purple eyes lit up from my answer.

"Correct! This is my mother's favorite from back home! So I was wondering if you might like it as well."

Aww… That's so sweet.

"Well, this is going to be my first time watching a Russian movie, so I'll try my best to keep up."

She leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry, my Love. I am sure you will understand it."

Instead of being flustered, I instead smiled from her kiss.

"Alright then, Honey." I flirted back.

She smiled back, taking after my example.

We then turned to the movie and watched the movie together.

The first scene was a man kissing a woman, so I got a good idea of how the movie was going to go.

And… It's a romantic movie.

Great.

* * *

The movie was reaching the climax with the two couples now starting to make love before one goes off to war.

By now, our popcorn and soda were almost done, and so we put them down near us.

Right now, I was laying down on Val's lap, since the back row seats had adjustable rests for a sofa experience.

He was petting my long purple hair, which made me feel at ease.

The couple on screen decided to do some foreplay and so I followed their lead.

"What the hell…? Are they really going to show this?" He muttered, confused about the explicit content shown on screen.

Now's my chance.

I slowly crept up my hand near my head and starting digging for his zipper.

He immediately caught on and stopped petting my hair.

"Yuri, what are you doing?!" Love almost yelled.

I didn't respond to him and carried on with my plan.

The passion of how he kissed me turned me on so much.

I was so turned on ever since then and I have been holding this for a while now.

**That's why I have no choice.**

"Yuri!"

I unzipped his zipper and slithered my fingers into his pants.

After a bit of searching, I was able to find something hard there.

Oh my…

It was this point where Love decided to pull my hand away from his pants.

"Stop! Jeez, Yuri, what's with you? I promised your dad that we wouldn't do anything funny!"

I decided to look up to him.

"We already went past that barrier, don't you think? And besides, even if you don't want it, your body does."

He gulped.

"Wants what?" He timidly asked.

I smirked and leaned in.

From there, I bit into his neck, causing him to gasp in surprise.

"Gah…!"

I licked the spot where I bit him and laid my head down at his lap again.

From there, I put my hand into his pants once more.

It wasn't hard to find his shaft.

I grabbed onto it, surprised at how hard it was and set it free.

My eyes gazed at the girth and size of him.

This is it...

"Wow… looks like you do take a lot after your Russian descent. **This looks amazing** …"

I gripped his member and stroked it slowly, marvelling at the features it had.

"W-Wait, hold on a second…" He shakily whispered as I pumped him slowly.

I marvelled at his size and girth, growing more and more aroused by the second.

"Yuri." He sternly called.

I stopped stroking him and listened.

"If you do want to do this... I don't know if I could stop myself in time. I might take things a little too far." He solemnly warned. "I promised your dad that I wouldn't do anything funny with you…"

I cradled him against my cheek.

"My dad should know better that I know who to trust. And who to trust with my love."

He didn't answer me.

And so, to answer him I let out my tongue and gave his member an experimental lick.

"Mmm… Salty, but tasty." I commented.

For better reference, I used the movie on screen to help me perform.

I swirled my tongue on his head and made sure it was coated with my saliva.

From there, I experimented on where Love was most sensitive.

Once I did, I opened my mouth and let a portion of him in.

I used my hand to pump him while I slowly bobbed my head down, just like the lady was doing it.

"Shit… Shit…" Love incoherently muttered as I continued to blow him.

The slow rhythm quickly got boring, so I opened a larger part of my mouth and let him all in.

My groin was starting to heat up, causing me to move my other hand there.

I explored more regions of his member the lower I went, marking my newfound territory with my saliva.

The further I went, the more heat started to pool up inside of me.

At this point, my other hand was rendered redundant as so I focused on moving it onto my chest.

From there I groped my self and continued to pleasure him.

The rhythm was still too slow for my liking.

However I didn't have to do anything, as Love put his hand on my head and forced me down.

I welcomed his aggressive play, now knowing that lust has completely taken a hold of him.

"Mmmph!" I moaned. "Vwal! Thwis is swo gwood!"

He punished me by forcing me down again as low as possible.

 **"Don't talk with your mouth full, Honey. It's not good for you.** " He replied with a new tone that I never heard before.

His aggressive play turned me on even further.

From there, he controlled my bobbing with his firm grip on my head.

Every once in a while, I felt a twitch from his member.

I knew what that meant and I wanted all of it.

Instead of using my head to bob on him, he started thrusting upwards, meaning he wanted to get to his breaking point.

My fingers turned up the intensity as well and so I was getting close to my breaking point as well.

It was a wonder that no one has caught us yet, as our groaning were getting louder and louder.

And that excited me.

Love's member twitched again and out came his climax.

His twitch also triggered my orgasm as well, causing my hand to splash with my juices.

I didn't dare to let go of him and so I decided to swallow it all.

With a few audible gulps, I looked up to him and showed him how much he came.

I gulped one last time and hummed.

" **Delicious**."

Love wasn't satisfied at all.

He put his fingers on my groin and started to rub against them.

I covered my mouth to stop myself from moaning out loud.

" **I want more, Yuri. I want round two.** "

Given the way he asked, I couldn't help but oblige.

Within seconds, I readjusted myself and sat down on his lap.

I straddled him, feeling out his hard member against my butt, before hoisting myself up.

He gripped himself and started prodding my groin.

"This is my first time… and I want you to know that my heart is yours. That means, my body is too." I whispered.

He simply nodded, understanding what I meant.

I gripped him and forced him into putting it in.

"Ah!" I let out, to which I mostly stifled.

I felt my hymen break, but given how turned on I was the pain was almost nonexistent.

" **This body is yours. Do whatever you want to it, my Love.** "

He let out a low growl and started thrusting into me.

I bit my lip and tried my utmost hardest not to expose us.

Love inserted his entirety into me, as I felt my walls clamp against him.

This feels amazing!

No wonder my body was crying for this!

The slow tempo started to lose favor as we both quickened our pace.

I felt him pull out of my walls and back in again, with each thrust threatening to break my mind.

And with each thrust, I felt my walls try to keep him in.

As a result, he gripped under my knees and carried me up, thrusting upwards.

Fortunately the couple on screen started to make love, with their moans starting to boom across the speakers.

It was from there, I started to let loose.

"AH! AH! Keep going!" I demanded.

He complied and leaned against his seat, now starting to give more focus into the thrusts.

Love was hitting a certain spot that made me feel euphoric, and so I shifted myself so he can adjust.

It didn't work out, so he put me down and pushed me down, causing me to grip the seats ahead as support.

Everyone in the theater was about 20-30 seats ahead of us, so they wouldn't notice my grips on the seats at all.

I felt his hands grab onto my hips and pound me from there.

My butt felt his thighs each time he kept pushing through.

And from there, I started gyrating myself so I could cover more area.

With that, I hoped that he could focus his efforts into hitting the area I wanted.

Love gave another low growl and leaned in.

I felt his chest against my back as he hugged me close.

This was where my mind went totally blank.

My breathing turned completely erratic and so I let out my tongue to help regulate it.

My eyes rolled up with how much pressure he was putting up.

Each time he thrusted in tandem with my hips, there was satisfying clap of our skins making contact.

From there, I felt him squeeze my chest and move his hand lower.

This is way too good…

No words can convey how good this feels…

Love starting hitting me in the spot that I liked so much, and realized that I was moaning louder and louder with each consecutive thrust.

"AAAAH! AAAH! THERE! RIGHT THERE!" I yelled.

The sounds of the movie still was able to completely drown out our love making.

Love growled again and bit into my neck, causing me to turn to him.

I felt him twitch again meaning he was close to climaxing.

My walls tightened more and more as I felt a strange rush pooling inside of me.

Once he pulled away from neck, he leaned in and kissed me, taking my tongue with him.

Our tongues swiveled with each other as we approached our climax.

The rushing wave finally cascaded as my walls constricted him, letting my fluids onto his member.

In turn, I felt his warm seed flood my walls, each twitch meant another payload was ready to be released.

With a couple of twitches, I felt his member soften.

He pulled out with our combined juices coming out of me.

"Satisfied, Yuri?"

I grinned and kissed him.

* * *

"Oh, that was amazing!" Yuri let out as we exited the theater. She fixed herself, adjusting her hair and fixing her dress.

"Yeah, it was," I admitted with a grin, putting my arm around her.

"You know...we ought to do that more often, Val," Yuri whispered seductively, tracing a finger around my chest.

Ooh boy.

I'm not sure if I'm ready for that level of intensity with her yet.

"Let's save that conversation for another day, okay?" I told her, followed by a nervous laugh.

"Now, where to next?" I asked her, walking towards the exit. Just as we got out of the building, however, we heard an unknown voice.

"Yuri? Is that you?"

We turned around to find two boys our age, one blond and one dark-haired, wearing smirks and looking at Yuri in a condescending way.

Aaand, I already don't like them.

The moment Yuri looked at them, she clung to my hand and shrunk into me, obviously uncomfortable.

They began to walk toward us, and I subtly moved my arm protectively around her.

"So uh...are these friends of yours, Yuri?" I asked her.

Yuri's confidence was non-existent at this point.

"Well I-" She began, but she was cut off by the dark-haired one.

He gave a sound of disgust, which irritated me.

"Did you just say, 'friends'? With her? You can't be serious. I'd rather die alone than call a freak like **her** my friend." He jeered.

From beside me, I could see Yuri look down in shame.

They have history and it obviously isn't good.

"Calm down. What's your problem man? What did she ever do to you?" I demanded, trying to get some answers out of him.

Despite this, he put his hands up.

"Whoa, relax there, roid man! I doubt you'll even want to be **near** her when you find out how weird she was in middle school." The blond delinquent stated, laughing from beside his friend.

Roid man…?

I don't even touch steroids!

Then again, these guys are scrawny so they wouldn't know a thing about gains.

And…

They insulted Yuri.

At this point, my rage was undeniable.

A scalding fury I was about to unleash on these two assholes.

I could feel my hand start to curl into a fist.

"This freak has a knife fetish. Has she told you that yet?" The dark-haired let out with a snicker. "She 'collects' them, but c' mon, what kind of person does that?"

I looked to Yuri, but at this point, she was oblivious of my presence.

She was pale and she kept shaking her head as she covered her ears.

This was when I truly realized how much hellish trauma she'd endured.

If this was even a fraction of what she'd been through every day, I couldn't blame her reaction.

"Well, if she does do that, then that's pretty cool. People like different things for a reason." I stated, keeping an open mind.

They both exchanged looks and laughed at me.

"Knives? Are you kidding me? That's not cool, it's fucking weird and dangerous!" The black haired guy stated.

Lot's of things can be weird and dangerous, that doesn't mean people can't like them!

"Seriously, I don't think you deserve to be with some weirdo like her, man. Don't you have standards? But then again, you think knives are cool and collectable, so that means no." The blond taunted.

I'm going to bash their fucking faces in.

He came closer, starting to get more comfortable.

His friend followed suit, except he actually got close enough to pull Yuri's hair, and she let out a whimper.

Suddenly, my vision filled with red.

I let go of Yuri and grabbed the black hair by the collar, sending a punch to his face.

" **Don't. Fucking. Touch her.** " I growled, as I smashed his nose with a left hook.

With my grip on his collar, I started to deliver multiple punches onto him.

I let go of him when I felt pain in my back.

What the hell was that?

I let out a grunt and turned around to find the blond friend in a fighting stance, still wearing his stupid smirk.

"How do you like that huh?" He asked with a grin, which only added to my anger.

He threw a punch, but I simply ducked out of the way and delivered a solid punch right to his stomach followed up with a swift uppercut.

 **That's** how you do it.

I readied myself with my usual boxing stance and brought my fists close to my head.

He doubled over and fell into a coughing fit as his friend went over to help, but he didn't get a chance.

Knowing he was going to get attacked, he tried to go for a low blow, but I blocked with my knee.

He recoiled in pain and I hit him with a simple cross.

The guy tried to get up but I threw a left hook to his jaw and he fell over next to the blond one on the floor, where they stayed groaning in pain.

" **Get up! I want to see what you got! Can't you back up your hate with your fists?!** " I yelled with my fury.

I would've kept going had it not been for Yuri getting in front of them.

All my anger dissipated in an instant when I saw tears in her eyes.

"Val, please. Please stop!" She begged, her voice breaking.

I darted my eyes towards them and her.

"But they were going to hurt you! I don't want you to get hurt!" I stated.

I suddenly became aware of a group of people surrounding us, some even recording with their phones.

As I looked over to where the two guys had been, they were already limping away.

I quickly led her away from the crowd, knowing it would only make matters worse for her.

We walked until we were far enough from the crowd, and I attempted to calm her down.

I brought her into my arms for a hug, but she simply stood there, not making any effort to return it.

"Listen, they were wrong about you, Yuri." I assured her with a gentle voice.

She didn't respond at all.

"And… I'm sorry I lost control, but I don't know what took over me, I… I just couldn't stand there while they badmouthed you. They thought that they could bully you and get away with it." I apologized, guilt starting to take over me as she started to sob.

* * *

I was a fool to think I could be happy with Val.

I don't deserve him.

I never will.

I will always be reminded of that.

"I'm so... so sorry Val." I choked out.

I parted from him, and I started to walk away.

"But, **you're** wrong. You're the only one who's been wrong. What they all said is true. I'm just a **clingy freak**. I just shouldn't bother you anymore." I told him, tears streaming down my face, and I ran.

I heard him call out to me, his voice begging for me to stay, but that only made it worse.

I didn't bother looking back.

I could hear him hot on my trail, but I lost him after I ducked into an alley.

I then made my way to the only place I knew was safest.

Home.

I ran until I couldn't feel my feet, but I didn't care.

I ran until I reached my house, fumbling with my keys through tearful eyes.

I ran up to my room and locked the door, where I simply broke down.

I sobbed uncontrollably for what felt like hours, clutching my sides in pain.

I'm so sorry Val…

I really wish you hadn't met someone like me…

I continued to cry until my exhaustion got the best of me, and I gave in to the clutches of sleep.


	9. Garden(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

"The number you are calling is not available. Please try again later, or leave a message after the tone."

Shit, shit, shit!

C'mon Yuri! Please answer!

I'm begging you!

I hung up for what seemed like the millionth time and got ready to call her again.

But something stopped me.

It had been fifteen minutes since Yuri had taken off. I tried chasing after her, but I'd lost track of her shortly after.

How the fuck could I lose her like that?!

Who knows what could happen to her if she's left in such a vulnerable state!

Whatever happens to her is **my** fault.

All because I couldn't keep I anger in check.

I continued to scold myself until I decided that just standing around wasn't helping, so I started to think about where she might be.

Maybe she hasn't gone very far and I can still catch up!

I ran around the plaza, hoping to spot a familiar head of purple hair, but I soon realized she had been long gone from this place.

It wouldn't make sense for her to have come here I don't know why I thought she'd be here.

Everything here feels so nostalgic for some reason...

Argh, snap out of it me.

Now, I can check on her house, but I don't want to head there until I'm sure she's there.

For now I'll just keep an out for any alleys.

I searched everywhere I possibly could, growing more worried and desperate by the second.

No matter how I searched, couldn't find Yuri anywhere.

A feeling of dread began to settle in on me.

If she had been found somewhere in an alley, crying and unaware of her surroundings, and some creep snuck up on her…

My mind started to visualize on what could have happened in that scenario.

But I refused as I grew more and more anxious.

NO!

Despite everything I told myself, I started to panic.

I have to find Yuri no matter what.

With newfound energy, I ran around the block like a madman, searching every single street thoroughly for the second time, and then a third.

When I couldn't find her, panic began to gnaw at me further.

"Yuri, where are you?" I helplessly said out loud.

As my desperation began to peak, I started to call out for her, not caring for passersby reactions.

I started to walk away from the plaza, using the route that Yuri and I had taken to get there.

"Yuri!"

"Yuri where are you?"

"Please! Come back Yuri!"

While I called out to her, I kept on getting weird looks and I was able to hear what people were saying.

"Did he just get dumped?"

"What's up with that guy?"

"Is he looking for his sister or something?"

However, I ignored them, and I kept looking.

I eventually reached her house, overtaken by a feeling of anxiousness.

If I don't find her here, I don't know what I'll do.

I buzzed the gate desperately, hoping to get an answer from someone.

The front door swung open, and I was met with a livid Haru, her eyes alone hinting at the possibility of murder.

" **What did you do to her?!** " She demanded, swinging the gate open and making a mad grab for my shirt.

I started to back off, but to no avail.

When she caught me, she yanked me down until I was face to face with her.

"I-I…" I tried to explain, but I struggled to formulate any words. She grew impatient and put her forehead against mine.

" **You what? Out with it!** " She growled.

Now is not the time to be weak!

Step it up me!

I took a deep breath.

"I lost my temper." I stated.

This seemed to piss her off even more.

"And no, it wasn't at Yuri." I stated, causing her to let go of my collar.

Once I straightened myself out, I took another deep breath.

"There were some bullies from her middle school. They were treating her like a menace to society. I couldn't stand to see them step on Yuri like that. And… the next thing I know, they're on the floor, and Yuri's a crying mess… I tried to calm her down but she didn't want any of it. What they said to her really got inside. She ran and ran, I tried going after her, but…" I choked out.

I balled my fists up and tried to calm myself down.

Haru's expression softened as she seemed to piece together what had happened.

She walked up to me and gave an understanding smile, her previous alter ego gone without a trace.

The younger sister backed away and made her way to the door.

"Haru, I need to see Yu-" I started, but she didn't let me finish.

She simply shook her head.

"I understand, Val. Onee-chan's always struggled with self confidence when she was little. It made a turn for the worse once the bullying started, so I appreciate what you did for her."

…

So that's why she is so insecure about herself.

It's because of those bullies.

Damn it!

I knew I shouldn't have let them get away!

But…

That would have made things worse.

"Haru… I need to speak to Yuri… Please."

The younger sister was adamant on her decision.

"She's pretty shaken up, but she'd be better off if we just left her alone for now. This is the worst one I have ever seen… If my past experiences have taught me anything, she should be a bit more easier to talk to by tomorrow. So come back by then okay?"

I reluctantly nodded.

"Okay… Okay. I will come back tomorrow. Will your parents be home today?"

She shook her head.

"They're coming home next week."

I took a couple of steps and gave her a wave.

"Alright… Thanks for the advice, Haru. I appreciate it."

She gave me a small smile and waved back.

And with that, Haru closed the door and left me standing alone at her front door. I obliged, and started to trudge my way home.

I'm so sorry…

* * *

I had forgotten how nice it was to go out for a walk.

Clearing your head, taking in the fresh air...there really is nothing like it.

I made my way down the street, bathing in the setting sun's final rays of warmth. I couldn't help but feel melancholic these past few days, and I decided that getting some fresh air was the best thing I could do for now.

Not only that, but everything in my room makes me want to cry…

I looked around the neighborhood, reminiscing about the past. I made it to a familiar looking park, surrounded by a group of pine trees which had seen better days. Still, their smell brought forth nostalgia that hit me like a tidal wave

This brings back memories…

I walked towards a lonely looking swing set and sat down on them, the chains hugging around my sides as if to show they still remembered me. I let me head fall to the side, dragging my feet along the dirt as I slowly swung back and forth.

"H-Hello! My name is Val! What's yours?"

My chest began to tighten as I recalled what had happened in this very spot years ago.

"H-Hi… my name is M-Monika."

Memories of my adventures with my childhood sweetheart began to flood my mind, filling my heart with nostalgia and sadness. Awooden dragon, a lost bow…

A promise…

I wasn't surprised when I began to feel warm streaks running down my eyes. It had been long overdue. I sat there, finally succumbing to my emotions. I cried on the swing set, letting out all my pain with each sob. Once I was calm enough, I got up, and decided to make my way back home. It was too dark for me to be alone in such a place. I hastily made my way down the street, and froze. It was dark, and the only light I could get was from a light post, but I could recognize that person anywhere.

Val?

I noticed he was walking extremely slow and slumped, which was unusual, given that he always walked with an unmistakable form of confidence.

Is he tired?

I watched as he made his way down the street, looking miserable all the while.

No…

He doesn't look tired.

I followed him quietly, not ready to confront him face to face.

I can't help but feel heartbroken whenever I see his face…

But he looks to be going through heartbreak as well.

He finally arrived at his house, and instead of opening his door to enter, he leaned against it and fell, burying his face in his hands. I quickly hid behind a tree to avoid being discovered. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Seeing him like this only made me feel worse.

The Val that **I** know wouldn't let anything get to him like this. What in the world happened to you, Val?

This isn't about whether or not I can or want to talk to him anymore. Val is in desperate need of someone. A friend. And who would I be if I weren't by his side unconditionally?

C'mon Monika! It's no big deal! Just go over there and talk to him!

I shut my eyes and steadied my erratic breathing.

Just count to three!

One!

I felt my body tense up.

Two!

I shut my eyes again, forcing my foot to take a step.

Thre-

My train of thought was interrupted by a noise, however. I looked to where it had come from, only to find Val making his way inside and closing the door behind him.

Damn it! He slipped away!

Suddenly, I was filled with newfound resolve.

I'm going to talk to him no matter what. I don't care whether or not I can't bear to see him. If I can't stand next to Val as his love interest, then you better believe I'm going to be the best friend he's ever had. Because I want to make sure he's happy, no matter what.

Even if it still hurts me inside.

I made my way towards my front door, before feeling my phone vibrate, followed by it's ringtone, effectively startling me. I checked the caller ID.

Unknown number?

What the…

"H-Hello?" I answered hesitantly

"Oh, Hi!" I heard a young girl greet from the speaker.

"Is this Monika speaking?"

* * *

Even after working out and letting all of my frustrations out on the gym equipment, I still don't feel any better.

I was looking up at the ceiling, still thinking about what I could I have done better a few days ago.

The date was going perfectly.

Even though I don't exactly approve of me losing control and letting my lust get the better of me, I loved the time that I spent with Yuri.

And these past couple of days, my heart has been hurting.

…

I had enough hiding behind my feelings for her.

Do I like Yuri?

Of course I do, and I like her as more than just a friend.

But…

Do I really love her?

…

If I did then I would have pursued her right about now, right?

But that's…

I looked outside and over to Monika's balcony.

There's no way I can get a definite answer.

I can't tell if I actually love her.

And even if I did, do I deserve her?

I went against my rule not having any intimacy unless I declared my love for them.

And I hate myself for doing that.

My first time…

Was with Yuri…

That has to mean something, right?

That has to mean I love her…

I saw a light spark up on the other side of the balcony.

Huh?

That's something I haven't seen in a while…

Speaking of Monika's room, I haven't spoken to Monika ever since she…

Ever since she said she loved me.

I told her that I can't reciprocate her feelings and I felt that I betrayed myself…

Why am I feeling this?

Why does it feel so right that I want to be alongside Yuri's shy, but strong presence?

…

I need some help on this.

No matter how hard I try, I can never get a straight answer with my head.

And so, I pulled out my phone and looked through the contacts for someone to text or speak to.

I should speak to my friends, maybe they can help.

That opens up with Tom, Hiro, and Dan.

Maybe I should text Dan, since he was in a relationship…

But that would bring up those memories with that crazy yandere he had to date.

Hiro?

He had a bunch of failed romances, something he never brings up.

And Tom…

I don't even know if Tom and Sayori are in a relationship or not.

*Knock Knock*

My line of thoughts were disrupted by the sudden knock on my balcony door.

I squinted at whoever was trying to enter but I was surprised at who it was.

Wait what?!

Monika?!

I ran up to the door and unlocked it for her to come in.

"Monika, hey! Come in, come in!" I greeted.

As soon as I greeted her and rushed her in, I immediately felt an awkward tension inside of her.

"Thanks… I just want to talk to you about what happened a few days ago." She muttered, while looking away.

The confession…

I took her hand and led to sit on my bed.

With that, I let out an exhausted sigh.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for being such a fucking idiot, Monika. If only I knew…" I said to her, while trying to look into her eyes.

She beamed at me. Suddenly, I was enveloped in warmth. I looked over to see Monika had embraced me. It wasn't a hug charged with romantic interest like many of hers before. It was platonic, comforting. I couldn't help but choke up.

"It's not your fault, Val. This is my fault and I should have made a move a long time ago. Anyway, this isn't the reason why I am here. I am here because I am worried about you." She said, now looking up to me.

…

Even if she is worried about me, I still feel sick inside for being so oblivious about her feelings…

"Why are you worried about me?" I asked.

She put her hand on my shoulder.

"I heard what happened a few days ago from Yuri's little sister. You and Yuri were on a date, right?"

My eyes widened at what she was saying, and so I reluctantly nodded.

"Yeah, we were… I was in a date with her because I wanted to be with her. And somehow I managed to fuck it up."

She shook her head.

"Knowing you Val, this isn't your fault. You two were in the wrong place at the wrong time, there was nothing you could have done."

I frowned at her, still feeling guilty over my actions.

"So you heard what I did to the bullies right?"

She smirked at me.

"Well duh. Of course I did. Everyone in school is talking about how you took down two delinquents for touching Yuri! Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

I blushed a little from her compliments.

"Heh… I box from time to time, so I guess that paid off. They were going to hurt her so I had to do something, even if it meant losing my temper at them. The things they said to her felt like it hurt me as well."

I realized what I said to Monika and tried to cover up what I said.

Instead, she only smiled.

"Val, don't worry about me. Sheesh… I am trying to make you happy, you know? And what makes you happy is being with Yuri right?"

"...yeah. And you were right, I do have feelings for her. And being in touch with those feelings is what makes me happy. Whatever she feels, I feel." I stated.

She snickered at me for some reason.

"What?"

Monika put a hand up.

"Sorry, sorry! It's just that it's so sweet of you to think like that. You always do like to protective and understanding of others. But anyway, I am here to give you a little pep talk."

A pep talk…?

"I'm fine, Monika. I'm just-"

She didn't give me a chance.

"Val, if you do have feelings for Yuri then you should do something about it. She's all alone in a castle and is waiting for you to save her! Are you going to stay here and do nothing, or go there and prove that you love her?"

…

A castle?

Seriously?

But in any case…

Monika is right.

I can't just stand around and do nothing!

I have to do something about all this!

"You're right… You're right! I have to do something about this!" I jumped from my bed. "I am going to prove to her that I love her and I am going to make her happy!"

With a renewed mindset, I ran to my closet and got my clothes on as fast as possible.

"Thanks Monika!"

She giggled at me.

"It's the least I can do for my behavior back then. And if you don't mind, could I stay here for a bit?"

I raised an eyebrow at the strange request.

"Uh, sure? I don't mind, Monika. We go way back remember?"

She smiled and laid on my bed.

As soon as she did that, memories of Monika wearing my pajamas and laying on my bed while motioning me to come over was flooding my head.

What the…

When I blinked and came to, the memories were gone and replaced with a concerned Monika.

"Val? Are you okay?" She asked.

I shook my head and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I am, I am. I just got a weird bout of deja vu. Anyway, I am heading out. Thanks again for you help!"

She stretched across my bed, giving me a tinge of those memories again.

This time I was able to Monika with her hair down, just like when were kids, and she a lot more vibrant than before.

Snap out of it me.

I need to get to Yuri's now.

"Don't mention it, now get going!"

With that, I ran down the stairs and got my shoes on.

I knew the route to Yuri's mansion, so I also was able to pick up a couple of shortcuts along the way.

For some reason, taking these shortcuts feel eerily nostalgic.

Just like when I first walked into the neighborhood to apologize to Yuri about my behavior in the club…

I have been getting a lot of deja vu lately.

And so, I was able to make it without much hassle.

I walked up to the gate and buzzed it.

And as usual, the gate buzzed open and I walked to the door.

*DING DONG*

To my surprise, the door was opened rather quickly.

"Val! There you are! Get in here!" Haru greeted, pulling me inside.

I was astounded with her grip and was pulled inside the home.

"Jeez, what's up with you, Haru? Is Yuri doing okay?"

She let out a deep breath.

"I was about to call you, hehe. And not really. She's still in her room and not letting me come in. But she still gets food and water so I guess she is doing a little better than before. Anyway, I was planning on surprising her with you." Haru answered.

…

What?

"With me? How am I going to be a surprise?"

The younger sister smiled vibrantly, as if about to explode from not revealing her plan.

"I got the perfect plan! I was thinking that you can both go to the garden!"

The garden…?

"What does the garden have to do with this?" I asked.

She crossed her arms and stood proud, similar to a girl that I knew.

"You don't remember do you? Mom said that the garden was always a special place for you and Yuri. You two always played there, or at least that's what she said."

Wait, what?

We always played there…?

So that girl in my memories was…

"Look, I was thinking that you two could meet and make up there. By now, Yuri should be calmer than how she was a few days ago."

I nodded slowly at her plans.

"This is going to be tricky… Making up with her is going to need the right words. And I don't really trust myself with my own words right now." I commented. "But I have to try. I have to try and convince her that there isn't anything wrong with her…"

Haru gave me a reassuring smile.

"There isn't anything wrong with her. Like I said yesterday, Onee-chan's confidence is… it isn't the best. But now that she has some time to think about what happened, I think she should be a little more reasonable. You can handle it, can't ya Val?"

I balled my fists up and nodded.

"Yeah, I can do it! I am gonna fix this crap and move on stronger with her!" I declared.

Haru grinned at my enthusiasm.

"I have faith in you, Val. I know you can do it. Just head into the garden and I will get Yuri there as well. But the thing is… I don't know how long will take for her to come home."

I put my hand up and waved at her dismissively.

"That's fine. The more time I have, the better. I can be better prepared on what to say." I assured, while walking out the backdoor.

She put her hand on her hip and kept her grin.

"Alright, tiger. If you say so, good luck. And… make sure my Onee-chan is back to normal after all this, okay?"

With that, I left the house and went into the garden.

My surroundings were bathed in the orange sunlight.

For some reason, it sparked something in me.

Why does this all look so familiar?

As I walked there, I was immediately hit with a strong sense of nostalgia.

My head…

I turned to my right and saw a little boy with black hair and eyes, running with a girl with purple hair and eyes.

Wait a minute.

Is that Haru?

No, something about that girl tells me that it isn't her.

Then… Yuri?

Why is she so young?

The two children ran past me and towards the garden.

"Come on, Yuri! I'll race you to the garden! It will be fun!" The boy declared.

The purple-haired girl pouted, as if on the verge of tears.

"W-Wait for me! It's not fair that you're faster than me!" She answered.

I stopped my pace and tried to get a grip.

The hell was that?

Was that me?

I could've sworn I said that, but…

Yuri?

What does she have to do with this?

And why does she keep popping up in my childhood memories as that mystery girl?

…

Everything about this feels so off.

Why do I feel so guilty whenever I think about that girl?

The two children were long gone by now as I blinked.

Argh, just get to the garden, me.

I need to get ready and talk to Yuri about everything that has happened.

And this time, I am making it a priority to talk about this garden.

I picked up the pace and jogged to the garden.

My eyes widened as I walked up to the white picket door that guarded the plot.

This gate…

I remember this gate.

A white picket gate that only opened with a key.

As if second nature, I looked downwards and saw a doormat.

I picked up the doormat and saw a key underneath it.

The key was rusty, yet functioning and had a distinctive heart on the tip.

This key…

I remember a girl holding the key in her hands and always showing me the heart.

Why is the heart so important?

Were we childhood sweethearts or something?

I put the key into the lock and twisted it.

However it didn't budge.

Again, I felt a strange instinct and pushed against the door, trying the lock again.

*CLUNK*

The door unlocked and I went inside.

My eyes were overwhelmed with the scenery of the garden.

"Holy shit…" I muttered to myself.

Every aspect of the garden was done with perfection.

The hedges, flowers, and the plentiful crops radiated an aura of warmth.

A warmth that made me feel at home.

The colors of the scenery caused my head to go numb.

The birds chirping in the birdbaths made me feel relaxed.

The rushing water of the garden soothed my aching muscles and waded me to sleep.

I feel so tired…

All of the stress is being washed away the more time I spend here…

I shook my head out of it.

No!

I can't fall asleep now!

With a renewed grit, I stretched and tried to stop any traces of sleep coming onto me.

I don't know how it will take for Yuri to get here, so I'm gonna try to at least sit down somewhere…

But where?

I slowly walked around the garden and looked for a place to relax under.

There was a small tree in the corner of the garden that looked comfortable to be under.

Maybe I can lay down in the shade.

As I walked there, I saw something purple in the corner of my eye.

I turned my head and was greeted with purple flowers.

The flowers were in a small shrub and were protruding out of it.

Hmm…

I think I know what this is called.

Lilacs?

They remind me of Yuri's hair.

And they also remind me of…

That little girl.

Why?

Shrugging it off, I decided to pick the lilac off the shrub and take it with me for further examination.

As I went under the shade, I felt another wave of drowsiness come over me.

I gave my head a good shake to come out of it.

This garden is really making my sleepy.

Especially since this looks like paradise.

So calm and beautiful.

I think I can sleep here forever if I wanted to.

To prevent myself from sleeping, I examined the lilacs I picked from the shrub.

The more I examined the lilacs, the more I realized how fragrant it was.

It gave off a very pleasurable aroma that was very similar to how…

To how Yuri's smells like.

Her hair always has a dash of lilacs, lavender and jasmine, mixed into one.

And how silky her hair is…

It's as if I can run my hair down it and fall asleep on it without any hassle.

With the lilacs in hand, I leaned in and took a huge whiff out of it.

To my surprise, it made me feel incredibly drowsy again.

I tried to shake my head out of it once more, but it didn't work.

My eyes became heavier.

The last thing I saw before my world was engulfed with inviting darkness, was the lilac I picked up.

No…

Not like this...

I was looking for a way out of this neighborhood.

Everything around me was much larger than any home I saw back home and it terrified me.

But no matter what, I kept calm and continued to walk until I saw any police officers to help me.

Each step I took, I felt as if I was making a mistake and should just walk back the way I came back.

However, I started to lose track of where I was and I felt like I was going around in a circle.

I should have went to the park!

But it's so boring there!

No one wants to play with an American like me…

They think I am too weird for them, even though I know how to speak their language!

Why are so afraid of me?

I continued to ponder about my thoughts until I smelled something… fragrant.

This overridden my train of thoughts and I decided to follow it.

Wow…

This smells good!

Without even realizing it, I was now running towards the enticing smell.

And within minutes I made it to the house that was letting out that aroma.

I was in awe from the grandeur of the house as it was probably the largest house in the neighborhood.

To my right was a white picket gate that left wide open, so I walked over there and smelled the air.

The aroma was getting stronger so I walked in.

As I strolled inside, I heard some faint voices nearby.

I leaned against the wall and peeked to see who was talking.

Wait a minute…

The aroma's effect on me started to wither away and I soon realized that I was entering someone's house.

Oh no!

Mom and Dad said going to others peoples' houses is bad!

I need to get out of here!

I took a step back and stepped on a twig.

*SNAP*

"Eh?"

I felt their gaze in my direction and so I hid by pressing myself against the wall.

Once a couple of minutes of passed, I let out a relieved sigh and started to leave.

But I really want to know what that smell was!

And so, I stopped myself and peeked out once more.

My vision was bombarded with the bright colors of flowers and greenery.

"Wow…" I muttered to myself.

This is…

This is so cool.

I feel like I can stay here forever and never go home…

The colors of the garden reminded me of the Big Apple.

And because of that, I felt cozy.

In the corner of my eye I saw two purple dots moving.

Once I spotted what the dots were, I saw a girl wearing black dress and a sun hat, along with what seems to be her mother wearing a white dress and a sun hat.

"(Mother, do you think I can have my own garden like this?)" The little girl asked.

I immediately was able to recognize that this wasn't like any language I spoke around here.

Mom can speak in that language…

"(Of course, Yuri! When you grow up, you can have your garden. Maybe it can be better than your mother's!)" The mother answered cheerfully.

I think I know what that language is…

Maybe I can I talk to them…

However, I realized what I was doing.

The fear of getting caught finally got to me, so I started to run back the way I came from.

In my attempt however, I tripped and fell on my stomach.

"Ow…!"

That was bound to get some attention, so I pushed myself up.

"Ah."

With frightened eyes, I looked up to see the mother in front of me with a warm smile.

I immediately bowed to them and apologized to them.

"(I'm sorry! I didn't mean to come here!)" I hastily apologized.

The mother kept her warm smile and was pleasantly surprised.

"Ah, it's fine dear. I didn't expect anyone to speak Russian around here. You don't seem to be from here."

I took this as a sign to leave and so I turned my back.

"Wait!" The mother asked, stopping me from bolting from the area.

I reluctantly turned around and hung my head in shame.

"What's your name, young man?" She asked.

My heart was pounding, thinking that I was now in trouble for getting caught.

"M-M-My name is V-Val Jones, ma'am." I stuttered.

I meekly looked up and saw that she was still giving me the same warm smile.

"Hmm… that must be a foreign name. Not of this country… In any case, it's a wonderful name, Val. My name is Ivanka Ikeda. I am Yuri's mother."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a girl behind the mother, tugging against her dress.

Our eyes met for a split second, before she hid behind her mother's dress.

The mother then gently pushed her daughter towards me.

However the girl gave a low whine and ran behind her mother's dress.

"Yuri, you should introduce yourself to guests."

She's scared…

Maybe I can help?

"(U-U-Um… hello! M-My name is V-Val Jones! What's yours?)" I asked in Russian, hoping that she would answer me.

The girl poked her head out and gripped her mother's dress.

She meekly looked up to me.

"(M-M-My name is Yuri Anastasiya Ikeda. It's so nice to meet you Val.)" The girl awkwardly greeted.

I gave her a small smile to which she returned.

"Yuri, this young man can be your friend if you ask. Give it a try."

She slowly stepped out of her hiding place and walked to me.

"(W-W-Will you be my friend, V-Val?)"

I smiled even brighter.

I was happy that I managed to get a friend while visiting the country.

And I was happy that I made a shy girl smile and talk to me.

"(Of course! I'll be your friend, Yuri!)"

From there on, the two of us played and played to our heart's content.

I would always come to Yuri's house and play with her whenever I got the chance.

Each time I came over, she would get happier and happier.

Within days, her shy personality was starting to be replaced with a much stronger and vibrant personality.

She started to make shots, stand her ground, and always managed to impress me on the littlest of things.

For the first time in a while, I was happy.

I didn't have to worry about making friends while visiting this country.

Yuri was my closest and only friend.

I trusted her with my secrets and she trusted me with hers.

Day by day, we would play, eat, read, and sometimes sleep together.

I always want to play something physically intensive like tag, hide and seek, and etc, but Yuri complained about being too slow for that.

So instead, I always played what she wanted to play.

"Val! You're back from work!" Yuri gasped.

I put my invisible jacket next to my seat and sat own.

"Yep! I am. How are you…?" I asked, unsure of what to say.

She puffed out her cheeks.

"You're supposed to say, 'Honey'! Remember, we're playing house!"

I raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Sorry."

Yuri's pouting causing me to quickly correct myself.

"Ah right! Sorry, Honey. It was a long day at work. What did you make?"

She immediately brightened up.

"I made some tea for the both of us! It's Jasmine tea, one of my favorites!" The girl cheered.

Whenever I saw Yuri smile and get excited about something, I couldn't help but share it.

"Okay, Yuri. If you like it a lot, then I might like it too!"

She giggled and poured the tea into my teacup.

"Don't forget to blow on it, my Love." She warned.

Hmm, I still don't know why she keeps calling me that.

I don't know what it means, but if she likes to call me that, then oh well.

I was close to sipping it, so I was grateful for the warning.

She put her teacup down and walked over to me.

"You do it like this!"

Yuri then blew onto my teacup.

I couldn't help but focus on her lips when she blew on it.

After a few blows, she leaned in and kissed my cup before handing me it.

"I kissed it for goodluck, hehe!"

She then gave me a cute smile, which I returned.

"Thanks for the tea, Honey!"

I couldn't help myself and took a sip out of the tea.

The taste of the Jasmine flooded my taste buds and I couldn't help but hum in response.

"Mmm! You're the best at making tea, Honey!"

The compliment made her face burn as a result.

"T-Thank you… my Love."

We quietly drank our tea in peace while sitting down under the tree.

The garden was our safeplace, our paradise from the outside world.

And that's why we always went there to play.

No wonder…

No wonder this place was special to me…

"Val! Let's read this book again! I want to memorize it!" She exclaimed.

I groaned from this.

"Again? Didn't we finish it yesterday? Why do you want to memorize it so badly?" I asked.

She blushed a little but remained calm.

"It's because this is the first book that Father gave to me. I know the book is challenging, since it was originally in another language… But I still want to give it a try."

Yuri's confidence was something I couldn't let down, so I obliged.

"Alright… fine. Let's re-read this book again."

* * *

I laid in bed still hurt from what had transpired days ago.

Why do I always do this to everyone?

I always cling onto to them and have a hard time letting go.

Why is that?

Is it because…

Val was my childhood friend?

Then why doesn't he remember me?

…

It's better that he doesn't remember me.

That way he won't have anything to do with me.

I'm a creep that will never be happy nor deserve to be happy.

*Knock Knock*

"Go away." I replied, not wanting to have anything to do with the outside world.

My guess was my younger sister trying to get me out of my misery.

"Onee-chan… you need to cheer up, please! Val came over to help you! Can't you two talk it out?!"

I was furious that my sister would do such a thing, so I stomped towards the door and opened it.

"Why did you invite him?! I want to leave him alone! I don't deserve him!" I yelled.

My sister flinched from my yells, as I never yelled at her.

"Onee-chan, why do you keep telling yourself that? Val saw something in you that he wanted to blossom! You know he's not the type of guy to judge you!"

She's right…

Val was always accepting of me, no matter what.

"Well, if she does do that, then that's pretty cool. People like different things for a reason."

However, I didn't want any of it.

"That doesn't matter… I took Val away from Monika. She was my friend and knew Val for much longer than I did. And I snatched him from her! They deserve to be together!"

Haru sighed, knowing that she can't change my mind.

"Yuri, please… Just go and talk to Val. Hiding like this is pretty dumb. You need to confront your fears face-to-face, or else they will never go away."

But I deserve this pain!

That's…

That's all I've ever deserved.

But I should at least tell him why he doesn't deserve me.

I need to end this so I can suffer.

"Fine… I will talk to him. But give me some time." I answered.

My younger sister let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness. Okay, Val will be waiting for you in the garden."

The garden…?

With that, she left the room.

I closed the door and walked over to my window.

From there, I saw Val walking to the garden door and somehow unlocking it.

What the…?

How did he remember to open the garden door?

I saw Val stepping into the garden, amazed with the greenery there.

Does he remember now?

Does he remember how much time we spent together there?

From the distance, I saw that he walked around the garden, which gave me the signal to follow him.

I opened the door and bolted down the stairs, going outside to the garden's entrance.

Once I was there, I took a deep breath and opened the door.

As usual, I was greeted with the beautiful scenery that both my mother and I worked hard to maintain.

I looked around for him and found him underneath a tree.

His chest heaved up and down as he slept.

Val fell asleep under the shade…

I should stay next to him.

With that, I jogged towards him and sat right beside him.

Once I got closer there was a familiar aroma around us.

Is that… Lilac?

In the corner of my eye I saw him holding a lilac flower, which was probably the reason why the area smelled like that.

My favorite flower…

And he's holding it.

That has to mean something, right?

As he slept, I decided to make things comfortable for him.

I put his head onto my lap and petted his black hair.

He looks just like how he was a decade ago.

I can still see the resemblance between the two Vals.

And he has grown so much since then.

…

No.

I remember now.

I remember the day where had to leave.

I remember it all now.

* * *

"Yuri… I am sorry. Today is my last day here. I am going back home in a couple of hours from now." Val said sorrowfully.

My heart stopped all of a sudden at that moment.

"W-W-What?!" I yelled.

That caused Val to tense up.

"W-What do you mean you have to go?! This has to be a joke, right?! Please tell that this is a joke, Val!"

The somber coating in his eyes told me otherwise.

I felt my eyes burn.

"No, no, no, no! No!"

I clung onto him and squeezed him for dear life.

"You can't go! You can't! You're my only friend, Val! I'm going to be lonely without you! Please don't go!" I begged.

He hugged me back.

"I wish I could stay, Yuri. I wish I could live here with you and play with you everyday. But there's nothing I can do abouti. I'm sorry." He soothingly replied.

But that didn't stop the floodgates from pouring out.

I let out a heart wrenching cry and sobbed into his chest.

"DON'T GO! PLEASE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!"

I heard him crying as well.

"I don't want to leave either, Yuri."

We cried for a while until Val really needed to go home.

"I… I promise that I will come back to you, Yuri." He declared rubbing his eyes.

I was still sobbing uncontrollably.

No matter how I tried to calm myself down, I would be overtaken by hiccups and start crying again.

All I could remember from that day was me crying for hours and hours on my bed.

I would cry myself to sleep and wake up to cry some more.

Ever since that day, I felt something broke inside of me.

I would always feel overwhelmed by everything, no matter how simple it was.

When I was around Val, I was able to do almost anything.

But when I was alone, I couldn't even pick up a book and read it.

That all changed when I found Val again.

Of course, we couldn't recognize nor remember each other.

But I noticed that I was going back to my younger self again.

And not this… weakened and unconfident me.

No, when I was with Val I was able to find the right words to combat both Natsuki and Monika when they ganged up on him.

It was there that I realized that something in me has reawakened.

There was a change in me and I welcomed it with open arms.

No longer did I feel scared to stand up for myself and show people a piece of my mind.

For the first time in a while, I felt strength.

And for the first time, I didn't find myself on the verge of tears.

…

I was always a crybaby.

But that never bothered Val.

He always made sure that I was happy.

When I was happy, I was confident.

Thanks to that, so many new opportunities opened up for me.

Life became so much more bearable.

And that's why…

"I love you."

* * *

My eyes opened up when I heard a voice say that.

I was greeted with a small smile and purple eyes looking directly at me.

She said it.

She finally said it.

The words she said a few days ago were true.

Yuri does love me.

I felt her hands caress my cheeks.

"Thank you for bringing out my old self, Val. So much has changed when you decided to spend time with me. Were it not for you, I would have been the same scared girl you met in the hallway."

She leaned in and we kissed.

It was short yet loving kiss we both shared.

I remember everything…

"Honey… I'm home." I whispered with a grin.

Her eyes widened with my words.

"Eh? You… You remember?"

Without missing a beat, Yuri smiled brightly.

"H-How was work, my Love? Was it easier than last time?"

I moved my hand and caressed her cheek.

Her hands held onto my wrist.

"Not today, Hon. Today it felt as if I finally woken up from a long, long dream. A dream that held veiled promises. And it's something I need to act on."

All of a sudden, Yuri started crying.

"You remembered… You remembered when we last saw each other. I-I thought that would fix my problems but that solved nothing! I don't feel any more worthy and I still need you with me! Why? Why is this happening to me?!

She gripped my hand and cried.

I gently pulled my hand away from Yuri's cheek and pushed myself up.

Her tears hurt me, so I wiped them off.

Once her crying had finally toned down, I crushed her into a hug.

She was surprised with the hug, but slowly returned it.

"Yuri, I don't know to say but I will try my best. No matter how many times you say that you aren't worth anything or how clingy you are… I will always tell you that you are worth the world to me and I don't care how clingy you are." I stated while petting her long purple hair.

At this point she melted into the hug to point that if she got off for even a second, she burst into tears again.

And so, I held her tight.

"Of course there's restraints to that and stuff, but it's okay to be a little possessive of me. Showing how little you are committed to a relationship leads to disasters."

She sniffled a little.

"B-But… don't you think I am weird for collecting knives?"

I chuckled a little and looked into her mellow purple eyes.

"Weird? Personally, I find that pretty cool. Back home, people used to stockpile on guns. Lots of guns, and no one would bat an eye. I don't see this as much different, Honey."

She let out a shaky sigh and hugged me again.

"T-Thank you for accepting me, Love. I knew deep down that you wouldn't judge me on all this. But… But I still feel guilty for taking you away from Monika. You two knew each other for far longer and I only got in the way."

This for some reason irritated me.

Not because of how she doesn't stand in the way, but because she doesn't know how much I love her.

"Honey, do I have to spell out what happened on the date? We held hands, kissed and had sex. That means something if I wanted to do all that with you. Especially the latter. So tell me, do you realize how much I love you?" I asked.

I felt something in her stop for a second.

"W-W-What…? Y-Y-You love me?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled away from her.

From there I leaned in and kissed her again.

This time I gave everything I had into kissing her, so that she wouldn't have the chance to pull away.

If she tried, I would make sure her lips were occupied with mine again.

Before then she gave up on voicing her disbelief and continued on kissing me.

The kisses we shared weren't passionate, but more focused on keeping it sweet.

And that was perfect for the occasion.

"Mmm…"

We finally pulled away and took a couple of breaths to regain our composure.

"Is that enough evidence for you, Hon?"

She sighed happily and rested her head against my chest.

"Yes… Yes, it is. This is all the evidence I could ever need."

We stayed like this for a while and watched the sun set.

The orange sunlight was becoming more and more purple, before finally eclipsing into darkness.

The only sounds in the garden were the slow rushing water and the crickets chirping around us.

"Love?"

I looked down to see her staring at me with the small smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"What is it, Honey?"

She continued to gaze into my onyx eyes.

"Don't… Don't ever leave me again. I love you so much, that I don't know what I would do if you were gone. I need you here with me. Otherwise, I won't ever be myself."

I kissed her forehead and rested mine against hers.

"Yuri, there will be a time that I will have to go at some point. But I want to let you know that I will always be a part of you. After all, you can do some impressive things whenever I am not around. That proves that a part of me is with you."

She hummed at my answer.

"That will happen at a later time, Val. For now, I won't ever let you go. From now on, we are going to be together forever."

I laughed wholeheartedly from her answer.

"Hahaha! Alright, you know what I meant. I won't ever leave you again, Yuri. And this time I will make sure of it. Because…"

I nuzzled her affectionately.

"Because I want you all for myself."

We kissed again and let the future guide our fate.


	10. Beloved(Yuri)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

I heard the low hum of the air conditioner from the bed I was.

"Ugh..." I groaned, feeling a little sore from last night.

Why am I sore again?

Especially down there...?

The sunlight irritated my eyelids, causing me to open them.

As always, light always finds a way to crack through the blinds.

What a pain.

I kind of wanted to sleep a little longer, since I finally caught a break from my boss.

He was rather impressed by hard work so far, and I got a day off.

Just because I was close to him, family-wise doesn't mean he gives me any slack.

In fact, he is much harder on me than my other coworkers.

The effect is apparent with my friend, Danuja, which kinda sucks.

Dan works as hard as me, if not a little harder, and he is always praised by my boss.

On the other hand, if I did accomplish something phenomenal, all I get is a curt nod and nothing else.

He doesn't give me any words of encouragement or pat on the back.

All I get... is a nod and back to work.

Argh...

I let out a little sigh from my work life.

This gets really me down in the dumps, but I refuse to let it get to me.

All this does is rile me up and encourage me to work even harder than before.

I will keep shattering my limits and surpass Dan!

But this doesn't mean I am jealous of the guy.

In fact, as his close friend, I'm happy that he got ahead in life.

He came from a poor family and worked his ass off to be the salutatorian in Dokisai and in Takahashi University.

He was nearly crushed by her excuse of a girlfriend, whom I hold a grudge because of how she manipulated and hurt him.

And he was the first one to tell me about all that.

Words can't describe how I humbled that he chose me out of everyone in the friend group, to tell me his problems.

...

Maybe because I am a bit a counselor?

I'm not sure, but I'm still happy that he came to me for help.

Because right after that, we all pitched in and helped Dan out as much as we can.

He was our friend, and we have known him for a long time.

Right now, he's got a great job at my workplace, got the love of his life, and providing for his family.

If anything, he deserves it.

So yeah, I refuse to be jealous.

Mainly because...

I kind of have the same thing going on with my life too.

My eyes wandered down to the angelic wife I held in my arms.

Despite our activities last night, her galaxy purple hair didn't even show any signs of bedhead.

Seriously, her hair never seems to lose its softness and luster.

That's quite impressive, honestly.

I smiled and held her close to me.

She unconsciously gave me a cute, small smile back, which always made my heart jump.

Even when's she is sleeping...

She is still so cute.

To think I fell in love with a woman as angelic as her.

I petted her long purple hair and laid my head against the pillow.

Her soft snores kept me at ease as I thought about how I got to this point.

This...

This still feels like a dream to me.

Never would I've thought I would get married to my lost childhood love at this age...

But it's more of a mistake than an actual planned thing, unfortunately.

In fact, we still haven't had our wedding ceremony yet.

All we did at the moment was give in our marriage registry in, and that's pretty much it.

But still, I don't think we both regret the decision at all.

We are both pleased with the results, even if it was a bit of an accident.

As I continued to pet my wife's long purple mane, I felt her stir a little in my arms.

She groaned a little and pressed her chest against me unconsciously.

"Hehehe... I like this... Do you mind if I do thisss~?" My wife playfully said as she continued to press me.

I hugged her gently in my arms.

"Not at all. It's fine..."

My wife buried in her face in my chest even more, while pressing herself against me.

Ah.

I never can get used to this woman's chest.

It's on the higher end.

Seriously, it's something to behold.

Thankfully, it's all mine and mine alone.

It's feeling ticklish, especially since we are naked right now.

But it feels nice.

We stayed like this for a couple of more minutes and cuddled for a bit.

She then rose from her slumber and from my arms, yawning cutely.

My wife rubbed her eyes and smiled at the sight of me.

I smiled back at her.

Her cute little smile is all I would ever need to drive me to anything.

She hasn't smiled this often a couple of years ago, but now...

It's now as natural as breathing.

Her lips morphing into that expression means the world to me.

That has to be why I love her so much.

For some reason, I felt the need to tease her.

Especially since she was so adorable.

"Good morning, Haru." I teased, stupified on how cute my wife got.

She didn't react and fluttered her purple eyes to me.

"Good morning, Love..." She whispered, before closing her eyes to get some shut-eye again.

Wait for it...

Her eyes shot open and glared at me.

"What?! Why is my **sister** here?!" She roared, looking around for her sister.

I snickered from her menacing, causing her to turn to me with puzzled eyes.

"Pff... Haah~ That never gets old! Hahaha!" I started laughing, causing my wife to puff her cheeks out.

She hit her fists on my chest and sighed, getting childishly violent, which only caused my early bout of laughter to intensify.

I put my hand on her purple hair to open up.

My wife looked up to me with reddened cheeks, embarrassed by me.

"You're such a meanie, Val..." She muttered, while still keeping her pouty expression. "So mean, especially at dawn."

I let out a sigh and calmed myself down.

She still was a little puffy, so I kissed her forehead to loosen her up.

"OK, OK... I'm sorry, Yuri. It's hard not to do that, especially since you get so childlike whenever I tease you." I apologized while resting my chin on her crown.

That's right...

Despite our age, Yuri's my wife.

Ever since I spent time with her, little by little, her real personality started opening up.

At first glance, she was timid, overly-apologetic, and a little socially awkward.

I had a feeling this wasn't necessarily her true self, so I let her warm up to me so she can give her real person out.

Just by encouraging her to be herself without any repercussions really helps.

This "real" personality showed how proactive, hot-blooded, and attractive she really could be.

It was a little disorientating at first. Yuri stopped herself from showing her old "outer" shell, instead opting out for the intense counterpart.

And not mention, I felt like she was pushing herself a bit too hard for my liking.

It was if she was doing this so she can get my attention and keep it.

But once I confessed how I truly felt about her back in her garden, her actual personality was able to meld into her outer shell.

Right then and there, she realized how much she meant to me.

It allowed her soul to finally be at ease.

Now Yuri was able to show a mix of confidence while knowing when to stop and back up, something both her personalities sorely lacked.

At first, Yuri would stay quiet but would retaliate if she has no other options and is backed to a corner.

But on the other hand, she would relentlessly push her attacker to a corner and tear them to shreds.

Now, she would say her peace and make sure to end the conflict right away, something I approve.

With that her merging of conflicting personalities, she was able to show her childish side of her, something I thought was gone for a long time.

Thank Goodness, it was still a part of her because it's one of the many things I love about her.

The way she pouts and cheers up really gets my heart racing.

And I absolutely love how her personality clashes with her mature appearance.

Keeps things...

Interesting, I guess.

"Auuu~ please stop saying embarrassing things like that... It's a part of me, Val..." Yuri mumbled as she rested against my chest.

I took a deep breath, taking the faint scent of Jasmine and Lavender in.

"Exactly, it's a part of you. That's what I love about you." I answered.

In response to my answer, she took a deep breath of me and hummed.

"Fine... If that's the case, then I will just have to continue getting used to it... I should mention your teasing is one of the many things that I love."

I wrapped my arm around her head and held her close.

"Sheesh, you're just too precious sometimes, you know that?" I mumbled, now losing my confidence from her honeyed words.

She giggled, which made my heart jump as usual.

It made me happy.

We laid in bed for a while, until Honey decided to poke her head up.

"Love, I was thinking... How was work yesterday? I couldn't quite get an answer, especially since you... 'attacked' me."

My face burned up with what she was referencing yesterday.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, OK? I didn't realize how stressed I was once I got home. Your dad had been extra-hard on me yesterday, and he pushed me to the breaking point..."

She leaned in and nuzzled my neck.

"I didn't say that I disliked it, Love. In fact, I was surprised by how aggressive you have gotten. Seeing that side of you is quite attractive, actually. I wouldn't mind if you were that rough to me."

Yuri knew exactly which words to get to me, which meant it was most likely revenge from earlier.

"Good one, now you're the one who's saying embarrassing things to me. Goodness, you really know how to turn the tables, huh?" I frowned. "And I thought I was a little too rough towards you. Are you sure you're OK? I'm sorry if I hurt you or anything..."

My wife sighed at my overly-apologetic self.

"Val." She coldly called. "As I said before, I didn't say I don't like it. If you need me to spell it out for you, then so be it. I want you to fuck me like that every once in a while. I didn't get hurt at all, and I would tell you that I was in pain, wouldn't I? Now stop, apologizing."

Yep.

I don't think I will ever be blown away from Yuri's confidence now.

To think a soft-spoken girl would have the confidence to tell what's up.

Its... really attractive.

"Alright, alright. You convinced me. If you want me to be that rough, then I will be that rough on you." I surrendered. "Seriously, I never thought you would have such a bite on you. To think, someone as cute as you would have that."

She brushed her long hair and smirked at me.

"I had a good teacher, after all. You are normally so kind. No one would expect you to be righteous and foolhardy. After all, it's something I picked up on from you when we were children."

I playfully rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know. I'm just saying." I waved off. "It's more like you learned to open up. If anything, it's the other way around. I feel like I was the one who was picking up on your personality and putting my own twist to it.

It's hard to tell if the former is true or not.

Yuri had said that she picked up on some of my personality traits and put her own signature elegant spin.

Her reasoning was because then she was shy back then, but was always eager to learn.

Put simply, she was a bit of sponge but oozed a different liquid.

...

...

...

I know it's a weird analogy.

But still, I doubt it.

To me, I think it's more along the lines that Yuri was deprived of how she wanted actually wanted to behave.

After all, being brought up as a sheltered girl, I was the only person who showed her the outside world for how it is.

I knew she was always an outgoing girl like her mother and sister, but the fact that she might have used my method of approaching things flatters me.

To this day, I give her credit for behaving the way I am right now.

But she always counters it by saying I was the one to blame.

And we would go in circles trying to put up a successful conclusion.

It took a little time, and she started to become the girl she always destined to become.

That's why I find her incredibly attractive.

"So, will you answer my question? How was work yesterday?" She asked again, smiling warmly at me.

I looked away and thought about what got to me.

"Right... So, yesterday... Your dad wanted me to present some statistics, business ideas, and general affairs in a meeting, you know, as practice. Dan did it once before, and he loved the way he organized and presented." I started to say.

My wife stared at me, listening intently to what I had to get off my chest.

"So, to get your dad's seal of approval, I got him to help me out, and I put together what I thought to the perfect presentation. Dan helped with the information I needed to display, and I did the organizing, speech, and overall presentation. He told me that it was marginally better than his a year ago, and it was unique to only me. Hell, I got my dad to help me out, too, since he works under your dad. It was a product that I can be proud of myself! But..."

It still wasn't enough.

His face wasn't moved at the slightest during my presentation, and he only kept staring at my screen with those monotone, dull eyes.

Suffice to say, it kinda hurt.

For some reason, Yuri giggled at my confession.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Honey?"

She shook her head and looked at me.

"You forget that Father is always hard on you. You also have acknowledged that fact before. He knows that he put everything you had into the presentation. It's like him to say nothing because he wants you to think you can do better. It's his way of saying he is proud of you."

Her words confirmed the suspicions I had.

Because of that, I sighed.

"Yeah, I had a feeling that was the case. After all, it's a tradition for the son or son-in-law to take over the company. He's gotta be hard on me; otherwise, I won't be a good successor. It's one of the things I signed up for."

Honey frowned at this.

"You said you didn't have to have an obligation to this. Father said he wasn't keen on giving the role of successor because of how stressful it was and that you deserved better. He was saying this out of his own personal experience, Val."

I nodded but kept a warm simper at her.

"True. I wasn't supposed to be in this position, but I wanted to do it. I went to business school with Danuja to succeed too. This is not out of tradition, but more along the lines, I want to provide for our future family. I want to be the man your father approves of, the man worthy of you."

That caused Yuri to flare up.

It was something I said a couple of times, and it never failed to make her blush.

"You always like to bring up that excuse, don't you? Always talking about how you want to provide for our family... But you never tell me how many children you want from me..."

I shrugged and leaned against the pillow.

"Well, as I said before, I don't know how many kids I want. It all depends on how time treats us, right?" I answered.

Hmm, if I had to choose, then...

Maybe, just maybe... I want to have two kids.

A pair of twins, maybe?

Something like Yuri and Haru is?

Ah, it will come when it comes.

First thing's first, stabilize our income.

Right now, my dad-in-law is paying for our new home.

I would have settled for something cheaper, like a one-bedroom apartment, since that's what Yuri and I wanted, sort of.

But, I guess he wanted me to live comfortably and keep an eye on us both.

Fortunately, it isn't the latter he was worried about since he cares about her daughter's happiness more than anything else.

Yuri did say she might get a little homesick if we did move to the other side of the city, but was willing to spend some time away again.

In Ainu, she was terrified since she had no idea what to do.

Thankfully, she met Monika and the others, so they helped her settle in.

Because of that experience, her dad took that fear seriously and got us a condo in the same block.

I mean, I'm grateful that he got us this condo, but I think it was a little overkill...

But then again, I am not a new money nor old money guy, so I don't think I am in any position to say anything to him.

"And that's the usual answer you give. I suppose it is the most reasonable answer." Yuri said, neutral with my statement.

I laughed a little from her tone.

"Ah, come on, Yuri. Don't be like that... And can you blame me? Especially since we got married so young? I mean, I bet you didn't expect to get hitched at this point in your life, right? I have every reason to be a little cautious about the incoming future, Honey." I reasoned.

She huffed and gave me a look of superiority, meaning that she was about to retort with her elegant style.

"And look at where it has brought us. Now that we are together, we can spend the rest of our lives together!"

The rather cunning woman gave me a cheeky grin.

"I'm sure you are very happy, aren't you? I know that I am. Waking up to see the man you love every morning and sleeping next to him every night in his arms... Eating, cleaning, and relaxing together... It's a dream come through for both of us. Isn't that right, Love?"

Yep.

This is where hot-blooded nature comes into play.

So very passionate about the things she loves.

Which is me, of course.

And everything she said isn't false at the slightest.

It's more real than any word in the world, without a shadow of a doubt.

"Yuri, you already know my answer. You're damn right that I love you and being around with the rest of my life. But I meant this was unexpected. Even you have to agree with that."

And with that, her passionate display came crashing down with the realization of my words.

"Oh... right." She muttered, reminiscing the context of my words. "It was unexpected, that much is correct..."

I smiled and thought back to what happened a few months ago.

* * *

Yuri and I were on a date right now, spending time together.

At first, we were, as usual, happily talking and enjoying our time on our free day.

We walked into the arcade and played the claw game where we won our very first plushie on our second date.

In my reflection against I saw Yuri, debating within herself.

There was something that bothered my girlfriend as we spoke.

I picked up on this right away, dropping the claw game in its tracks.

"Yuri, what's wrong? Are you feeling OK?" I asked, now moving away from the machine.

She put a hand on her heart and sighed.

"I'm fine mentally, Val. But I'm worried about my body, actually."

My eyes widened at this.

"What?! What's wrong?!" I yelled, causing her to jump a few inches from my worried yell.

She shook her head and flushed.

"It's my... menstruation cycle," Yuri whispered. "It never is this late..."

I raised an eyebrow at this.

"What? What do you mean? Is there something wrong with it?"

Yuri nodded with a reddened face.

"Y-Yes... It's coming a little too late for my tastes." She said again.

My eyes widened from the context of this.

Oh my gosh...

"Y-You don't mean that you're..."

She tapped her fingers together, imitating a certain sunshine's behavior.

"M-Maybe... I actually expected my menstruation to occur a few days ago. B-But... it is rather late. Maybe something has happened? Haha..."

My face turned serious from her words.

I heard the machine give a low whine of the claw resetting.

To think I got her pregnant, without us being married.

I can't believe it...

We had a long session last week, where she said she was safe for the day, but...

Even the composed Yuri makes mistakes every once and a while.

After all, she is only human.

I am a bit hardheaded for some traditions, despite being lax about that sort of thing.

But this is something I have to do.

I have to take responsibility for my actions.

Because I messed up, I will have to face the consequences no matter what.

No time for moping around me, I have to take action now.

Yuri tried to wave off the tension.

"Haha... Don't worry, my Love. I'm sure it's late for some strange reason... I was careful with how my cycle, so maybe it isn't that... It may be late because of how stressed I am at my job. After all, I have a deadline to meet relatively soon..."

That didn't stop me from taking her hand.

She let out a cute squeak from my straightforward motion.

I dragged her away from the area and walked straight to a destination in hand.

"V-Val! Where are we going?!" She asked, startled by my behavior. "To the drugstore? The hospital? Or...?"

I didn't turn to her and continued to look straight ahead.

"Somewhere familiar."

That should give enough information, right?

Or am I being too vague?

She gave a small whine from my words.

"Uuuh...! V-Val! Please wait! Tell me where we are going!" She demanded, despite my motives.

I sighed and looked her straight into her purple eyes.

"It's obvious, it isn't? We are going to meet your parents. They should be home today, right?" I asked.

Yuri was shaken up by my serious look but nodded.

"Y-Yes... they are. But we don't have to take things too quickly! It's like I said... I don't know if I am sure or not!" She squeaked.

She's sputtering excuses right now.

I don't want to play around with this sort of thing.

This has to be dealt with swiftly.

By the time she had said that we were already near her home.

And I wanted to make my stand now.

"Yuri, if it hasn't happened in a while, you both know what that means, right?" I rhetorically asked.

She wrung her fingers nervously from my words.

"Right... You're right. I knew this was the case." Yuri muttered.

But took a deep breath and strengthened her resolve.

"I should just stop making up excuses at this point. The sooner, the better, I suppose!" Yuri confidently said.

My lips pursed to a smile.

"That's my girlfriend. Confident when the time calls for it! Now let's get a move on!"

We then went up the stairs to her two-story house and rang the doorbell, holding each other's hand tightly.

The door opened with Yuri's mother, Ivanka, greeting us.

"Hmm? What's wrong, you two? Did you forget something? Condoms, perhaps?" She teased.

But once she saw my weighted expression and Yuri's bashful smile, she knew it was something important.

Ivanka immediately opened the door and called for her husband.

"Akira! Go to the dining room right now!" She demanded, showing off some of the maternal forcefulness she had.

Her husband left the living room, a little puzzled but sort of got the sense of what was going on.

I felt Yuri's grip on my hand tighten, so I squeezed her hand to calm her.

We walked into the dining room and sat down, with Ivanka serving tea to all of us.

Yuri's father was a little confused about what was going on, but once he saw our expressions, he finally got the idea.

Once Ivanka was done serving tea to all of us, she sat down next to her husband, giving us both comforting smiles.

I took a deep breath and straightened my back.

We held each other's hand tightly and looked at the two parents.

They soon realized that the moment has come, and so they tensed up.

I let out the breath I was holding and looked at them in the eye.

"There's an excellent reason as to why we are both here right now. I would like to make a request from both of you, and I hope you will accept it." I said in a grave tone.

For some inexplicable reason, I felt Yuri's hand loosened for some reason.

And so I tightened my grip on her.

"Ahhhh...! Oh no...! Val, please let go. I..." She whispered.

I took those words as cowardness at the time, so I made sure she wouldn't leave quickly.

"I would like for you to allow Yuri... No, I suppose Yuri-san and I finally get mar-"

Before I could finish my sentence, my girlfriend ripped her hand out from my vise grip and stood up.

"Yuri? What's wrong?" I asked.

She didn't give an answer and ran straight to the bathroom.

...

What?

Huh?

We were all left dumbfounded by the girl's behavior, and we couldn't help but stare at each for a couple of moments.

This is...

Pretty awkward.

A few moments later, she came back with flushed cheeks and went up to my ear.

"Um... Val... it happened."

I looked to her with confused eyes.

"What? What happened?"

She played with her long purple hair and looked away.

"My period..."

And at that moment, my world stopped.

* * *

**Meanwhile, back at the Jones household!**

"Your room is soooo cooooool!" I heard Haru exclaim for the second time.

I rolled my eyes at this.

"You said that for the fifth time now, when are you going to stop saying that?"

The purple-haired girl gave me a devilish smile.

"I don't know Mikey, when are you going to tell me that you love me?" She answered.

Haru looked around my room as if looking for something.

This girl...

She always loves bringing that up.

"Tch... Just don't touch anything, alright?" I groaned, trying to focus on the task at hand.

Seriously, what is this girl looking for in my room?

"It's gotta be here somewhere..." She muttered to herself.

And so I gave her a swift chop to the head.

"Owwie!"

I shook my head.

"What are you looking for? Porn books? I don't have those, so stop wasting your time."

She rubbed her head and pouted at me.

"How am I supposed to believe that? Every guy at your age has them, what makes you any different? Haru reasoned.

That is true.

As a second-year in Dokisai, I can't deny that the possibility exists.

"Well, I do the 'deed' to get rid of any of those thoughts twice a week just in case. And it doesn't bother me as much since I like to keep myself busy." I explained.

The girl looked at me with mirthful eyes.

"That is so dreamy..."

I rolled my eyes and went back to my desk.

"I'm working on some homework at the moment, Haru. Hurry this up. And also, how did you find out where I even live?"

She smiled and put her hands on her hips.

"My sister told me. The thing is, I should've known a long time ago, back we were still in Lotus Junior High a couple of years ago. Why did you try to hide where you live? Asking your brother or my sister a little weird, don't you think? Forcing a girl like to know where the man of my dreams lives gets me... **sad**."

I widened my eyes at the girl's change of voice but quickly glared at her once I realized there was a flaw in her argument.

"Sheesh! Alright, I'm sorry! I didn't know you wanted to know that badly. Instead of hiding behind hints, tell me what you want. It's better that way and... I don't want you to get hurt because of a misunderstanding, alright?" I replied while looking away.

Haru smirked in the corner of my eye.

"Ooooh... So this is your dere side, huh? Val told me that if I wanted to exploit it then, I keep at it!"

I gave her deadpanned eyes at her dimwitted response.

"My brother didn't tell you that saying your plan out isn't the best idea now, did he?"

She gave me a low whine.

"Awwww! Come on! You know, you're a lot more attractive when you actually care, you know that?!"

That comment irked me much.

And so, I turned around and continued to do my homework.

"Too bad, I don't. Now, if you aren't here for anything, go, I need to focus on my homework. You being here is a hindrance." I coldly said, now typing up my essay.

Instead of another snappy comeback, I heard a sigh.

This sigh wasn't out disappointment or frustration, but more charged with sadness.

And for some reason, it made my heartache.

"OK... I'm sorry for bothering you." She muttered, before turning to leave.

The tone in her voice bothered me, so I decided to take action.

I gritted my teeth and stood up from my desk.

Before she could even get a chance to leave, I put my hand against the door.

Haru looked at me with shocked eyes.

Just a second ago, they were on the verge of tears.

And that hurt my heart for some reason.

"I was just... No, my brother would apologize in my shoes, so... Haru, I'm sorry. You caught me a bad time, especially since this essay is on a sensitive topic. How about this? Want to... go on a date or something?"

In an instant, Haru smiled and squeezed the ever-living life out of me.

Her strangely large chest pressed against mine.

"I do! I do! I do! I would love to go on a date with you!" She excitedly buzzed.

She continued to bind me until she finally let go.

For some reason, the girl I found annoying looked strangely attractive.

"Let's go! I have a lot of ideas on our date should go! And don't you worry, I did my research by reading a lot of shojo manga! I know what I am doing!"

...

...

...

That's a horrible source to research anything related to love.

But then again, what do I know?

The second-year pulled on my sleeve and practically dragged me out of the house.

Fabulous, what I have I gotten myself into?

Oh...

Oh shit.

* * *

Both of her parents heard what their daughter said and was on the verge of laughing, as they tried their hardest not to laugh.

I expected Ivanka to laugh right about now...

But seeing the more severe and reserved Akira holding in laughter is something I don't see every day.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop my deadpan.

"Y-You're kidding me. Now? At of all times now? I got my game on, gave everything I had not to show that I was embarrassed, and kept it together with you and-!" I sighed, covering my reddened face from the now laughing parents. "Ugh... it's whatever. You can't control your body's cycle sometimes. It all just controls you."

Her parent's laughter got to her as Yuri laughed as well.

"Hehehe! I'm sorry, Val. But you also have to find this whole ordeal rather comedic, don't you think?" She stated, now laying her head on my shoulder.

I felt her soft purple hair on my shoulder, and as a result, I was able to finally loosen up.

"Heh, I guess. This is pretty funny, now that you think about it. Now, I don't know if I can do it again..." I tittered a little nervous.

As I thought about how to clear up the misunderstanding, Akira beat me to it.

"You won't have to, Jones." He answered, now looking somewhat serious. "The fact you took decisive action and took responsibility for your actions is more proof than I would ever need. I knew you were a good kid the moment I laid my eyes on you."

I couldn't help but flush and rub my arm nervously.

Getting compliments from my boss is a lot more embarrassing than I thought it would be.

I actually expected Ivanka to compliment me since she is a lot more open than her husband...

But this?

This is a little too much for me.

"T-Thank you, sir..." I muttered.

He sighed and gave me a friendly smile.

"Jones, you're at my home, not at work. You have no reason to call me, sir." He stated. "Especially since you were going to betroth my daughter, isn't that right?"

...

I think they don't want a "no" as an answer, do they?

"Father? What are you doing?" Yuri asked, realizing the predicament I been placed in.

He leaned against his seat and continued to smile.

"This is simply a tradition. When I married your mother, this same exact situation happened. My wife told me her cycle came later than expected, which crumbled our plans in the first place. However, her father didn't give me a choice when I made my intentions clear. It was a one-way trip for me, and so it should be for your future husband. In the words of your grandfather: 'If you were ready to give your vows to my daughter, then you best to not back away when given a chance.' So I expect the same for you, Jones."

I looked for Ivanka for her input, to which she simply kissed her husband on the cheek.

"And we don't regret it one bit! I was glad my Akira married me when I was young! It's because of marriage; we are so happy." She stated while hugging her husband.

As usual, Akira a little uncomfortable.

"Ivanka, please... Not in front of the kids."

I turned to Yuri and saw she looking off at a distance was dreamily thinking of something.

"Val... And I... together? Forever? Ooooh..."

And she's gone.

By the looks of it, I am sure she would want to live with me.

I am sure I would want to live with her for the rest of my life.

And right now, I can't back down no matter what.

Besides, what can go wrong, anyway?

With a little bit of soul-searching, I balled my hands up and held Yuri's hand tightly.

Yuri's hand squeezed back as I took action.

I looked towards the parents and gave them what they wanted to hear.

"I won't let you down... Mom and Dad. If you want me to carry on the tradition and leave your daughter in my care, you will get it!"

With that out of the way, I looked at my girlfriend and took her hand.

"Yuri, will you marry me?"

I didn't need an answer when she responded by pouncing on me.

* * *

Love shook his head in mock disapproval.

"To think if we wanted a little longer, we wouldn't have had to go through the messy scene. Seriously, the time was pretty poor, Honey."

I puffed my cheeks out again.

"Hey...! You said you understood! It's not my fault my body decided to menstruate so late!"

He smirked at me.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Love teased. "Now it's my turn to ask. How did your day at work go yesterday?"

Ah, that's right.

I was also having a stressful day at my workplace.

But fortunately for me, I was able to leave early and make dinner for Love and me.

"I... I was also having an annoying day at my workplace. It doesn't help that **she** loves to take the spotlight whenever she can. My mother likes to parade **her** with compliments, but for me, she rarely shows any. I know it's the same for you, where my father doesn't acknowledge your work, and I may have it easy since my mother still likes my work... But I'm competing against someone, so I can get the position of lead scenario writer. To think I have to keep up with a blond..." I ranted, causing my husband to look at me with a slightly bewildered expression.

The woman I was referring to was Chiyoko.

She was apparently my husband's first childhood friend and his first female friend for almost a month before and after returning to the United States.

She is very competitive when pushes come to shove, to the point that I thought I was going against Monika for a moment.

But no, behind her smile is a perfectionist that knows what she is doing.

Chiyoko tries to show some sportsmanship, but I can tell she is taunting at me.

It gets on my nerves.

But I shouldn't undercut her skills.

She is very talented and can rival my writing.

That doesn't mean I am going to lose to a girl like her.

Love sighed and closed his eyes.

"Yuri, is this about Chiyoko again? I know she can get competitive at times, but you're letting it go to your head. Your mom knows you are a very writer, and she wants you to grow, just as you said a while ago. Huh... Never thought the same applied to you, though. Your mom is like a completely different person at work, right?"

My mother is just as he said.

A completely different person at work.

Instead of her bright, cheery demeanor at home, she turns a switch and is forced to be reckoned with.

I never saw my mother so serious at work that I was a little frightened by the change.

After all, I am her daughter, and she showed nothing but love for me.

"She is indeed another person. But that doesn't mean she is reserved as my father. She still gives me compliments and has some of her outgoing personality while working, which makes it easy to walk up to her."

I sighed, a little melancholy from how things went yesterday.

"In any case, I almost lost my temper when **she** continued to one-up me at every turn. I was able to turn in a written scene days before the deadline, only to find that Chiyoko had done the same thing I have. She was able to throw around some ideas on how a particular part of the story ideas that I also had. And finally, my mother gave her usual compliments to her and only gave a curt 'good job' to me."

Once I got that off my chest, I let out a heavy sigh.

I was indeed feeling better now.

We didn't get the chance to talk about our day because of how close we were to the breaking point.

But it was perhaps for the best.

His love made it possible to help drown out the stresses of yesterday.

And my love made it possible for him as well.

"Hmm... I had no idea it was that bad, Yuri. But I think I should say this, great minds think alike. Chiyoko possibly on the verge of her breaking point as well, and it didn't help. She was working as hard as you. Last time I heard, she doesn't have any romantic partners in the first place. The fact we... well... let our passions out for the evening and feel refreshed, we don't have to spend the entire day to unwind. Now, we have the entire day to plan on what we should for our workplaces and continue to work hard..."

I glared at his choice of words about how we were going to spend the rest of the day.

"Ah... Or we can take the day off as a functioning member of society and not fall into workaholic tendencies... Ahaha." He laughed off. "But seriously, I know that she won't be able to keep up with you anytime soon. It is only a matter of time until she falls into a rut and will need time to recover, while you, on the other hand, will win the race with flying colors."

...

It's because of his small speeches and words of insight is one of the reasons why I fell in love with him.

Soft-spoken, indeed.

But when push comes to shove, he knows it when to help support anyone emotionally tp anyone who needs it.

It's because of his words, I couldn't hold back the emotions inside of me.

And so, I forcibly pressed my lips against him.

My heart soared as we kissed.

He was caught off-guard by my kiss and tried to kiss back as best he can.

I, on the other hand, wanted to keep the advantage.

To do so, I put my tongue into his mouth and went for his.

Love was able to fight back relatively effectively.

His tongue immediately put up a fight.

I felt our mouth make squelching noises, which excited me.

My body started to heat up by this kiss.

And I felt his body reacting positively to my touch.

But before we can a step further and let out passion, Love pulled away from our french kiss.

I glared at him, irritated that he stepped out a crucial moment.

When I did this the first couple of times, he would be taken off-guard and struggle to collect himself.

But now, he has become immune to this practice.

"Yuri, as much I want to make love with you. You do realize that we haven't cleaned up since last time at all, right? Just doing it now is... unsanitary."

He's right.

As much as my body cries out for his, I know he's right.

That is annoying, and I don't know why...

"Very well. Can we make love once we are done cleaning?"

He looked nervously at a distance.

"Um... Maybe later. Like I said, even though I want to do it, I don't think my body can keep up. We were at it for an awhile last night, and I am really sore down there. Sorry."

Did Love get that sore from our lovemaking last night?

...

Seems reasonable given how stressed we were.

And it was very rough from the very beginning, so it makes sense why he is sore.

"I understand, Val. I hadn't realized that until now." I said, now stretching to get up.

He looked worriedly at me.

"Are you going to be OK?" Love asked.

I nodded and got off the bed.

However, that was a fatal mistake.

All feeling in my legs was gone, and I felt this aching pain in my nether regions.

But before I can begin to stumble, my husband was able to catch me.

"Whoa! You almost fell there!" He exclaimed, now easing me onto the bed once more.

I let out a cry from the pain.

"Uuuuh...! Val, it hurts!"

He was obviously taken aback from this.

"Eh? What hurts, exactly?"

I pointed downwards and frowned at him.

He looked down and smiled at me.

"Ahahaha! So this was the case for you too, huh? To think you wanted to go at it for another round!" Love teased, causing me to whine.

It was made worse once he realized my legs have given out too.

"Auuu~! I didn't know that it would be this bad... And not to mention, your words have really turned me on. You were so righteous and confident... So it is my fault that I fell in love with you again?"

Love smirked at me and nuzzled my cheek.

"Hey, you're my wife, and it's my duty as your husband to support you whenever and however I can. Unlike my tenure as your boyfriend, I can't turn back now, can I? Not I wanted, nor did I want to have a divorce or anything... Point is, I am by your side for life. And I trust that you are too."

I nodded and hugged him tightly.

"Of course! I am your wife, and I will always be by your side! I have to support you, too, so don't hesitate to reach out to me!"

With those words, my husband picked me up and carried me bridal style.

I let out a surprised yelp from this sudden motion and clung onto him.

"Let's get moving, Yuri. We got a date to go on today. I got a lot of things planned!" He said as he carried me to the bathroom.

I couldn't help but let out a titter from his excited mood.

"Lead the way, my Love. I also have some plans in place."

But as soon we got half-way to the bathroom, Val suddenly stopped in place.

His face contorted as he winced in pain.

"Val?! What's wrong?!" I yelled, worried by his pained expression.

My husband shook his head and looked back at me.

"Sorry about that... Something weird came over me. It's like I did this with Natsuki for some reason... And I got the feeling it wasn't for the best."

I eyed at the mention of another woman.

"No... but that never happened. I'm sure her heart's doing fine..." He muttered to himself as he opened the door to the bathroom.

It must be one of those strange bouts of deja vu.

I also get them, but they are infrequent and are mildly tame.

But it's not the same for my husband.

He would enigmatically bring up Monika or Natsuki at times before coming back to reality.

This didn't make much sense, as he never understood the context of the attacks.

In fact, whenever I did get attacked by the deja vu, I also felt like I couldn't understand the context.

This only has gotten worse once we got married.

I am confident that my husband wouldn't cheat on me.

And I am confident that I will not cheat on him either.

These strange attacks of deja vu are a part of our lives.

It's an unspoken rule not to talk about it...

Mainly how it only doesn't make any sense in the first place.

"Yuri?" I heard my husband call.

I looked up to him.

"Oh... Sorry for bringing up another woman on our day off. Not sure why I did either... This feels so weird."

Val was feeling a little conflicted and confused, so it was my duty as his wife to help him.

"I understand, my Love. Don't forget the same thing also happens to me. So, please... don't pay it any mind. These weird phenomenons will go away at its own time. For now, let's fight it together."

He nodded and looked confident once more.

"You're right. There's no use in overthinking it and worrying about it. This will go away in its own time. Now let's get cleaned up, already."

And so we cleaned up.

* * *

I heard Yuri's humming as she cooked breakfast.

No matter how much I want to help, I am no match when she gets angry.

I let out a small sigh but smiled.

The woman's got a bite, just like her mother and sister.

She wants to be the one to cook the meals in this house.

But I want to be the one to cook meals as well.

After all, I wasn't all that keen on letting my wife do all the housework while juggling her job at the same time.

It's my job as her husband to help out and lessen the work for both of us.

After all, I know it is gonna worse if we do have kids.

So I gotta break it in sooner or later.

But for now, I guess this is something we can do for the time being.

I will start to pick up onto some of the jobs whenever possible.

And so, I picked up my phone and checked if I missed anything important.

On the notification bar, I got a couple of messages from Dan.

I opened them up and saw they were.

"Hey, Val. I hope you aren't feeling all that down today. I don't know why the boss wasn't that impressed with that display, but take it from me. You did amazing at the presentation. In fact, you were the best one I have ever seen since I started working here. So don't beat yourself up, alright?"

I couldn't help but grin from my friend's caring message.

And so I typed up a message to reply to him.

"..."

"Hey, Dan. I'm feeling a lot better. I know I was a little stressed out and was maybe rude to you, so I'm sorry about that. Just know, I am delighted that you sent me that message, bro. It really is a motivational boost when you, the star of the whole workplace, compliments me on how well I did yesterday. So thanks for that. I will keep trying my best and try to get my father-in-law to... well, notice me, I guess."

Dan saw this and immediately came up with a reply.

"It's what friends do, Val. You helped me a lot back when in Dokisai. You, Hiro, and Tom are the reason why I am here in the first place. This is the least I can do ever since I broke up with the crazy bitch. And don't worry, I'm sure he is gonna open up to you sooner or later. I mean, he took you in as his son-in-law for a reason, right?"

...

Yeah, I guess he did...

Even though I know little about business, for some reason, Yuri's father saw something in me...

Replaying it in my head doesn't make much sense either.

The fact that this happened a couple of years ago is unbelievable...

* * *

I was in Yuri's house and was in her father's workroom.

He was clearly busy, but he greeted me with a smile and asked me to sit down nearby.

As I waited for him to finish up his work, I struggled to find the right words to say to him.

What do I say to him?

That I want to be a worthy son-in-law?

How will you say that without looking awkward in the process?

And I didn't want to Yuri this, mainly because I wanted to surprise her and...

I don't want her firm opinion to sway her dad's opinion just yet.

Since Ivanka did say he prioritized her happiness and that it would help him decide but...

It's best to let him decide on my own merit alone.

He has seen me take her on dates here and there, helped out with some the errands, and helped with his work whenever possible.

Even then, I still think my chances of this working out are slim.

But that doesn't mean I won't stop trying to get his approval and tutelage.

He stapled some documents and put them inside a folder before walking up to me.

Yuri's father was happy to see me at the very least.

"Hello, Jones. What brings you here? Do you want to help out with some of my work? And like always, you don't have to help me with this."

I shook my head at his words.

And so he continued to rearrange his paperwork at my answer.

"Is that so? Hmm... If that's the case, I do want to say something." He said, putting the folders into a bin.

I perked up at this and gave him my undivided attention.

"Since we aren't talking about work and... alone. I want to apologize for my behavior when you first took Yuri on a date."

Apologize?

Why does he want to apologize?

"I will admit, I thought you were some random guy who wanted to take advantage of my daughter's quiet nature. As soon as I realized who you were, I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth. You were always the son I never had, in fact. Mr. Jones was always proud to have a son like you and would constantly bring you up. And so, I would like to apologize for my threatening words at the time."

...

Jeez, all this coming from a man who is usually so serious and straightforward is kind of...

Well, flattering doesn't even begin to cover it.

I chuckled nervously to help ease the embarrassment I was feeling.

"Uh... It's alright, Mr. Ike-"

The man put up a hand to stop me.

"Akira, Jones. I am not that old, and I am sure I am not as old as my wife's father. There's no need to be formal with me, you understand?" He said in a firm voice.

I nodded before he frowned to himself.

"Ah, sorry. I did it again, didn't I? Force of habit. Being the CEO of a publishing company sometimes forces me to take some precautionary measures. I'm sorry."

I waved my hand at his apology.

"Don't worry. I... I would like to understand why that's the case."

Akira was puzzled by my words.

And so, to take a much more serious approach to this, I straightened my back and looked at him.

"Err... Akira, I want to be... a worthy man for your daughter. And that can mean anything, I am willing to do whatever it takes to get you to recognize me as a hardworking man!"

He took a couple of seconds to process what I said and sighed heavily from my words.

"Oh, dear... I have been down this rabbit hole before. I never thought you would want to make it even deeper." Akira said, touching the bridges of his nose.

Rabbit hole?

What does that mean?

"I... I am afraid that I don't understand, Akira."

He stopped pinching his bridges and looked me in the eye.

"I did the same thing as you did, Jones." He answered. "I marched to my wife's house and begged her father to take me in so I could marry her. Suffice to say, it didn't go well the first time. Mr. Ikeda was unbelievably livid, and he had every right to be so. An outsider such as me, wanting to have Ivanka's hand in marriage."

I think I get the message here.

The Ikeda family is one of the upper classes that have a history of power struggles.

To think that Yuri is a part of the family was surprising to me, to say the least...

"How much do you know about the Ikeda family, anyway?"

I racked my head for an answer.

"Well, I know that it has a history of internal power struggles, and it has a relationship with the Russian motherland."

Akira folded his hands together and looked out the window.

"Yes, that is true. But that isn't the whole story." He muttered.

I looked at him expectantly, hoping he would continue, to which he reluctantly did so.

"The Ikeda family has its roots in this country and in Russia. After the war we had with them a long time ago, some of the family emigrated there. They had an entanglement with some of the lower royalties there, and some were forced to come home. Sure, the Ikeda family still keeps in contact with them as they had a child that of mixed blood. But it wasn't until the Second World War where the Ikeda family finally returned to some of its roots and reconnected. It was there that the family started getting more traction here."

He shook his head from the family's rather messy history.

"The Ikeda family expanded by arranging marriages between other larger families in Russia and here. It has been like that for many generations. But that changed when I came around. My wife fell in love with me while we both attended Ainu Academy, back before it still allowed men to enroll there. And so, we had a secret relationship at the time until it lasted. When Mr. Ikeda heard that a man enrolled in Ainu by scholarship and financial aid, he wasn't happy. A lowly man like me didn't want me to take her daughter away."

I continued to listen to him as he paused for a moment.

"Hmm... The exact words were: 'Why in the world does a peasant want to wed with my beautiful daughter?! Get out of my sight!' It was safe to assume he loathed me at first. After all, my wife was to be wed to a Russian chip manufacturer and wanted nothing to do with a man who only had a bachelor's degree in business. It looked bleak from there, but fortunately, I had support. Mrs. Ikeda and Ivanka convinced him to give me a chance. After a long time of negotiations, he gave me one chance and one chance only. With hard work, skill, and a little bit of luck, he warmed up to me a little."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Jeez, I didn't know it was that bad...

"So far, there hasn't been any contact with the other side of the family after Mr. Ikeda announced I was the heir to the Ikeda name. It wasn't pretty since everyone was against my father-in-law. But fortunately, Mrs. Ikeda was able to stop any hostilities and allowed me to wed my wife." Akira finished. "Now, Jones. You're about to enroll in a university right now, aren't you?"

I nodded at him.

"Yes, I am."

He rubbed his chin in thought.

"I'm unsure about this... It may have potential ramifications in the future. But hmm... This would mean actual change in the family. My marriage to my wife only set back some of the family's plans. No, it is too dangerous."

Dangerous?

"What do you mean dangerous?" I asked.

He closed his eyes and dived deeper in thought.

"I mean, you don't have to follow in my footsteps. You don't have to follow me in my line of work. I was planning on letting Yuri work her way of inheriting the company. But..."

I sensed his hesitation, and I decided to step in.

"Yuri spoke to me about this, actually," I said, getting the man's attention. "Yuri knew that he would give up her dream of being a novelist so she could run the family. But... I wanted to find a way that isn't the case. I want to keep her happy, and I will do whatever it takes to do that. So, please... Let me keep her dream alive."

Akira went into deep thought again and frowned from the new information.

"Hm... I never thought that Yuri would... No, I knew deep down, and I felt like I was tied down. I want to keep my daughter happy. It's the least I can do ever since she moved schools all those years ago... But Val, there is a potential danger in being the next head of the family. You're an unknown and outsider in this family."

As much I don't want to go in knowing how risky things can get...

I have to do it.

Otherwise, Yuri won't ever be happy.

And I made a promise to keep her happy.

That's something I have to do, no matter what.

"I... I will do it. I am ready to accept the consequences, and I will do whatever it takes to keep Yuri happy." I stated, without a doubt, in my voice.

Akira looked at me and smiled.

"I see. There's potential in you. This is something I am willing to help you with too. If you want my daughter's hand and want to keep her happy, But is this something you want to do?"

I nodded.

"Of course, this is something I want to do. And I am pretty simple when it comes to things like this. Working to keep a smile on my girlfriend's face is more than enough to get me to enjoy the job, no matter what it is." I declared.

* * *

Still, I'm glad that he took me under his wing.

Working in an internship and going to university with Yuri.

I wasn't sure how I managed to juggle all of that in all honesty.

As I sent one final message to Dan, I locked my phone and walked towards the kitchen.

She was nearly done with breakfast but gave me a warning glare as I got close.

"You aren't here to help me, are you? I am nearly done with making breakfast."

I waved my hand that.

"No, no. You made your point already with your lectures. I won't help you with breakfast for now, but we should really learn to split the workup. I don't want you to overwork yourself, understand?"

My wife smirked and placed the breakfast on two plates before placing them on the table.

"We'll see, Val. I may not be the most athletic, but I can definitely endure for a long time."

I smirked back and walked up to the table.

"Oh yeah, I know. You can last for a couple of rounds before going down, eh?" I teased before sitting down.

Yuri followed suit and processed what I said.

After a couple of seconds after I said that, her face burned up.

I laughed at her red face, to which she cutely pouted.

"Meanie..." She whispered under her breath.

I continued to laugh and let out a sigh before getting semi-serious.

"Yuri, you do know those gender roles are the thing of the past, right? Have you seen those stay-at-home dads and working moms? We can do something like that whenever our schedule is free. We can take care of the house by taking turns. Besides, it's much easier that way." I suggested.

She mulled over my suggestion.

In the end, my wife came around.

"I thought it was enough that you would cook whenever I wasn't home. However... if it has to come to this, then I will oblige you. My mother was very spartan about how the woman must take care of the house no matter what."

Yeah, I figured.

When my parents-in-law got married, Ivanka threw a fit whenever Akira tried to help around the house.

Her mother was a firm believer in the aging gender role of women staying at home.

And so Akira did a limited amount of work to please her.

Fortunately, my wife is a little sensible and understands where I'm coming from.

She didn't entirely doubt her mother but found it odd in the changing era.

Goes to say that nurturing is one hell of a drug.

"Thanks, Yuri. I knew you would come around. Now, let's eat."

She smiled back and prayed, as well.

We started eating breakfast, and it always blew my mind on how great Yuri's cooking was.

"Goodness, I think I might get fat if I keep eating like this." I complimented. "I can cook sure, but I can't 'cook' as you do. Seriously, this is absolutely divine! My tastebuds feel like they are melting from the flavor!"

She smiled warmly from my words, despite her previously pouting.

"You have always loved my cooking, especially since we were children. Do you remember?"

I scratched the side of my cheek as I tried to reminisce about our childhood.

"Hmm... I think I do. Can you do me a favor and help me remember?" I requested, picking up my food.

She let out a happy sigh and rested her chin on her hand.

"I can remember it clearly. It may be one of the reasons why I wanted to cook in the first place."

* * *

I served Val his plate and tea, excited to start our little tea party.

But the same couldn't be said for Val.

He looked at the plate and frowned a little.

"Clay, again...? Yuri, I don't like Clay. I had an awful stomach ache last time I ate it."

I looked at him with crestfallen eyes.

"But... I made it." I muttered.

He sighed and walked up to me.

"Yuri, I'm sorry. The doctor told me not to eat any more clay, and I don't want mom and dad to get mad at me again... Sorry." He apologized.

I frowned and played with my long purple hair.

"OK... But what do you think I should make, Val?" I asked, hoping to get a suggestion.

He tapped his chin in thought for a bit.

Suddenly, he put both of his hands on my shoulder, causing me to squeak in surprise.

"OH! I got it! Why don't you make an omelet? I kinda want to eat one right now!"

I eyed Val's strange request.

An omelet at this time of day...?

How odd.

But if it is something he wants to eat right now, then I will make it for him!

"If that's what you want, then I will make one!"

I then grabbed his hand and dragged him to the kitchen.

Obviously, my mother wouldn't let me cook or at least try to cook unsupervised.

So she was there to help make an omelet.

My mother put a stool tall enough to see the stove and let me crack the egg.

After that, I spilled it over the pan.

Val was sitting down in the table, intrigued by how the egg was being cooked.

"Oooh... That looks fun! I want to cook when I grow up!" He exclaimed while eying the sizzling egg.

I smiled at him and continued to cook the rest of the egg so that he can eat.

My mother helped me lift the spatula and fold the egg over.

"Mmm. Not bad for a first try, Yuri." My mother complimented.

I smiled brightly and took the plate to Val.

He gasped at how the omelet turned out.

"Whooooa! This looks amazing!"

It was odd since it was merely an omelet with no filling inside.

But I was ecstatic that he liked it.

My mother laughed at his very enthusiastic statement.

"Seems like he will like it, Yuri. I will leave you two at it. Now don't go making another, omelet."

With that, my mother left the kitchen, and I let out a small sigh.

Now to see if he is going to like it.

I...

I hope he likes it!

The first thing he did was dig in, chewing the omelet with a smile on his face.

From start to finish, he gulped and hummed in delight.

"This is amazing, Yuri! I love it!" He exclaimed as he continued to eat the omelet.

I couldn't help but titter from his words.

From then on, I made a promise to get better and better at cooking.

It was for him, after all.

"Love, I'm gonna try my best to cook for you and you only! It's a promise!"

Val looked at me, not understanding what I meant by it.

But it was fine with me.

He will understand why later...

And I don't expect him to know right now.

It's best for me in any case.

He doesn't need to know that I love him so much.

Not just yet...

Despite his confusion, he grinned happily.

"OK! I'll eat whatever you make! It's a promise!"

* * *

My husband looked at me in disbelief.

"Goodness, you actually remembered all that? It's because of you I was able to remember what happened. You didn't really make the omelet all by yourself, but it was a great start, especially if I liked it a lot."

He frowned playfully at me.

"Just so you know, I had a hard time going for a number 2 when you guilt-tripped me into eating all that Clay. I'm still not over that. To think, a girl like you could force a kid who didn't know better to eat some of your 'cooking' at the time."

I gave him the same look when he refused to eat the clay food almost two decades ago.

His eyes widened when he realized what he was looking at.

"Oh... Oh, no..." He muttered. "It's those eyes! I remember now! It's because of how you were on the verge of tears whenever I didn't do what you wanted!" He glared with faux intensity.

Hoh?

Is that the case?

I didn't realize how manipulative I was at the time...

I might have given Monika the run for her money when I was at that age.

"Such a low blow, going for those eyes. And the worst part was, I didn't even realize anything...! Ugh! How was I so stupid?!"

Because of my husband's repeated self-berating, I couldn't help but giggle at him.

"Hehehe~! Oh, Love. You were quite gullible as a child. I found that endearing as children. After all... You made me happy whenever you indulged me. And I can't ever thank you enough."

He shook his head and gave me an endearing smile.

"Well, whatever. But you should know what the worst part is. I have a feeling, if I'm not ready, then you would give that look, and I will do anything for you. I don't think I know when to stop and look closely at you. Seeing in any amount of pain jolts my heart alive, and I will do whatever it takes to get you back to your cute self."

I flushed from his words.

Since we were eating, it was hard to keep in the emotions I was holding in.

I wanted to lunge at him and hug him with every fiber of my being.

"Yuri, eat up. You can hug me later. Maybe after we are done eating..." Love said, now going back to his food.

Because of the potential reward, I ate as fast I can without choking and put my plate away.

I saw my husband gulp up the last of his food, and so I tackled him onto the floor.

"Gwaah!" He let out as I squeezed the ever-living life out him.

My lips morphed into an excited grin as I latched onto him.

"Love, I loveeeee you! Ehehe!"

He hesitantly hugged back.

"Jeez. I love you too, Yuri. To think, a few years ago, this is something you never would have done in the first place. I know I said it a couple of times already, but the old Yuri would be steaming at her head if she bothered to think about it."

I nuzzled myself onto his chest.

"Well, for your information, my Love, I am not as timid you think I am. I always thought about doing this to my lover... But you are right. I would most likely be very embarrassed if I bothered to do such a thing." I stated.

He sighed happily.

"In any case, Yuri. I'm glad you changed for the better and let your true self out again. Now, come on. Stop moving around too much, or else your stomach might like what it had for breakfast."

Val held my body in my arms and stood up from where he was lying down.

"Let's relax a little before we go have our date. I want to spend every second with you on this day off."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"Me too, my Love. I want to spend as much time with you today... I want to make you feel loved."

He kissed me back on my forehead.

"Likewise, I am gonna make you feel so loved that you implode by it!"

I was ready to give it my all on our day off, but life had other plans.

Once we went outside, I cramped up after taking a few steps.

I apologized to my husband about how I was still in pain, despite how I could walk earlier in the morning.

"Don't worry, Yuri. I had a feeling that this would happen, so I planned for this just in case."

Once he opened the door while carrying me, he laid me on the sofa.

In front of us were some old DVDs on the table, which meant we were going to have a marathon of movies to watch.

"I know you're a little old-fashioned, so I figured we can watch old movies in 480p, even though we have a... flat screen. Oh well, let's see what happens!"

I kissed him on the cheek and smiled.

"Don't underestimate the power of DVDs, beloved. They can certainly stand the test of time!"

He rolled his eyes at my statement.

"Yeah, we'll see about that. Well, let's get started, shall we?"

And so, that is precisely what we did.

We spent the entire day with each other, watching movies despite the horrendous resolution, and loving each other as much as possible.

Oh well...

This is a perfect day for a lazy day anyway.

* * *

Hmm...

What should I do for this part of the report?

It has been a couple of weeks since our date.

I was now at work, taking a look at some of the papers my colleagues have done.

We had our day-offs here and there, but we didn't have the time nor energy to go on another date.

"The numbers seem to be in the right place, but there is something off about it," I muttered to myself. "What is it...?"

I failed to hear someone coming up behind me.

"Val, the paper's missing a little bit of information over here. It's a bit too short, don't you think?" Dan answered, pointing at the place I was working on.

I looked at the area he was pointing at, and there was indeed some information missing.

"Ah, you're right. Thanks for helping out." I thanked now, marking up and filling in the missing information.

He patted me the shoulder before walking away.

But all of a sudden, he came back.

"I almost forgot. I was planning on going to the bar with you, maybe get Hiro and Tom here as well. They are relatively free today. Do you wanna go?"

Hmm...

It's been a little while since I hanged out with Dan and the others.

No, it has definitely been a while.

But the thing is, I have some prior commitments at the moment.

Specifically, making dinner since Yuri's going to come home a little after my shift's done.

Still...

It's been a while.

"I would like to, but... I got some plans to make some dinner when my wife gets back." I reluctantly answered.

He nodded and understood what I had to say.

"Don't worry about it. It's cool. Besides, it looks like you're living the sweet newlywed life, huh? By the looks of it from the morning, it was pretty intense, huh?"

I felt my cheeks with color.

"Shut up, man. It's not fair to tease a married man on his nightlife..."

He laughed at me started to move towards his desk.

"Hahaha! Ah, I'm only messing with you, nothing too serious, Val. Just let me know when you're free again. We all want to hang out with you." Dan said as he started to leave.

I waved at him and went back to work, only for my phone to buzz.

Hmm...

Must be Yuri.

It was indeed a text message from Yuri.

I unlocked my phone and checked the message.

"Hello, Love. I'm afraid I will be going to the bar with Sayori, Monika, and Natsuki today. So I won't be home when you are making dinner. I'm sorry. I will be sure to heat up the food when I get home. If I get home in one piece, that is."

Wow, that is actually pretty convenient.

Not to mention how ironic it was that she lets me cook whenever she wasn't around...

If this was a week ago, I wouldn't have brought that up, especially she wasn't aware of it.

Not the best idea to that anyway.

Right now, it isn't the best idea either.

In any case, maybe I'll go hang out with my friends too.

I looked up to where Dan was sitting down, and it looked like he was still in his water break.

By chance, we happened to see each other, so I motioned him to come over.

I then typed up the message I had for Yuri.

"..."

"That's fine by me. Have fun with them, it's good to spend time with your friends. I might consider hanging out with my friends too since you're coming late. After all, it would get lonely if I stayed home. I'll see you then."

"Yuri is typing..."

"Very well, Love. We will see what happens when we get home. In the meantime, be sure to spend time with your friends. I will make sure to do the same. I love you."

I smiled from her last sentence.

"Yep. I love you, too."

I heard a mock sigh as I locked my phone.

"You were texting your wife, you newlywed? Anyway, what is it?"

Oh...

Is that jealously?

After all, Dan still hasn't proposed to his girlfriend just yet.

Hehe.

"Sorry about that. My **wife**... just texted me saying she is gonna be home late. So I'm free to go. I'm not just any ordinary **newlywed** , alright?" I teased.

He deadpanned from my emphasized status and tried not to give me any more attention I deserve.

"That so? Well, alright. Once you're done with work, come to the break room, I'll be waiting for you."

I smirked and was still feeling a little petty.

"Got it. I'll be sure to turn my phone to silent so that my **wife** won't text me while we are having fun. After all, being a **newlywed** is pretty difficult, don't you think?"

His indifferent expression soon turned to mild annoyance.

"You really like to tease me, don't you? I'm thinking of tying the knot this month, so..."

I looked at him warmly.

"Oh, for real?"

He acknowledged my words.

"Yep, I have been with her for a couple of years now, and I think I am ready. Dude, I love her, and I am willing to do anything for her. But I want to make my vows to her and show that I am serious."

It's...

It's a strange feeling to see one of my closest friends getting engaged?

Is this what my friends felt when I revealed that I was married to Yuri?

"Wow, I'm proud of you. To think that you dated a crazy psycho and now, a woman who actually loves you and gives you the space you need. I'm happy for you, I really am, Dan. Just know, I'm with you all the way on this. I won't let you back away on proposing to her. After all, just like you said, you have been with her for a couple of years."

His mildly annoyed expression soon bashful with my sincere words.

"Thank you, Val. I'm going to propose to her, but if I chicken out, I want you to stop me."

There were only a few minutes left before we had to go back to work.

"Dan, I got a question for you. So, when I revealed it to you that I got the marriage registration with Yuri... how did you feel?"

He shrugged at my question.

"It is what it is. You got married before me, but you still haven't had your wedding ceremony. So I guess I'm a little... meh about it. You're married true, but only then are you a husband when you come out of the ceremony. At least that's how I look at things."

Our small break was starting to run out, and so I went back to work.

"Alright, I'll meet up with you in the break room. I am gonna get back to reading these documents and filling out some of the paperwork.

He gave me a nod.

"Got it. See you then. Also, you better not cancel last minute you like to keep doing."

I snickered at my lousy habit to cancel prior commitments, most of the time being my wife wanting to go somewhere.

Now that I realize it, I kind of pamper my wife.

Hey, if it gets her to smile, then I am sure as doing it.

"Yeah, I won't. Don't worry." I assured.

* * *

I was proofreading my rival's work as she corrected mine.

I didn't want to, my mother practically forced us to work with each other, as if knowing our animosity.

Despite me not wanting to admit it, there was little that I can critique about the piece Chiyoko has made.

For some reason, her work on two childhood friends irked me.

I can't explain this feeling of... jealously.

Not because of how, because of her writing style, it seems to be something else.

Particularly how similar the characters were to her and Love.

The character here, Frank, seems to have a nearly indistinguishable personality when Love was younger.

And the girl being depicted has a competitive but cheery personality, similar to Chiyoko...

Wait, is this a piece about her-

"So, what do you think?" Chiyoko asked with a neutral disposition.

She cut my thoughts off in its place, almost with surgical precision.

"There don't seem to be any issues with grammar, spelling, or word choice. Everyone seems to be in character as well. In fact, I believe this is written very well."

Chiyoko gave me a haughty smile, something I despised.

"Heh, is that so? I can say the same for you. Besides your scenario's characters using a bit too sophisticated language than they should at their age, everything is written well. What I like is how clear the kid's thoughts are. They seem to be very sensible for a boy his age."

I smirked at her, as I knew that I wrote my scene well.

After all, Val helped me with writing this out.

He remarked at how his thought process was at the time, a little hasty and head-on, but always with good intentions.

But that's what got him to work under my father.

I was unhappy that he went to my home while I was away to ask for his permission.

And so I lectured him about being more careful and to have a second opinion on matters such as those.

Thankfully, he took my advice to heart but said he wasn't going to back away from my father's deal.

I don't understand why, but it has led to us getting married, so I don't mind.

He stated that it was something a man must do, but that means something that still eludes me to this day.

Were he to propose to me without my father's deal, I don't know if he would be happy.

My husband really loves to take anything the extra mile, always get a surplus of something done.

It's because of his hardworking nature is what makes his so dependable.

After all, it's one of the reasons why I fell for him in the first place.

My mother would approve since he always liked my husband's character.

But my father was a different story.

...

That's enough dwelling in the past for the moment.

"So, do you mind me asking a question then?" My rival asked, now leaning against my desk.

I eyed her body language.

By the looks of it, she is not talking "no" as an answer.

"What is it?" I replied, ready for any curveballs she may throw.

She took a look at my work and let out a unique sound.

"Hmm, it's about your scenario. I never thought you would get such an in-depth analysis of how this boy thinks. Tell me, did you get Val to help you with this?" She asked frowning.

I tightened my gaze at her, now choosing my words carefully.

"Perhaps, I did. After all, he was a boy once before becoming the man he is. Is there something wrong with that?" I asked, hoping to turn the tables around.

She doesn't like where I got the inspiration from.

But what I don't understand is why it is so... curious about this.

Her eyes widened for a split second with how I turned the tables but kept her calm.

"There isn't, I was only curious. After all, he was your childhood friend, right? It's only natural he would come to help you with."

I wasn't expecting such a counter-attack that would force me on the defensive.

Oh my...

She is the same breed as Monika.

Cunning.

But, I know how to deal with her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned with a warning glare, telling her to back off. "What other men would help me with this? I'm thankful for the feedback he provides."

She gave me a smirk, knowing that I was starting to be cornered.

But before she can answer, my mother interjected.

"Ah! There you two are! Are you done sharing each other's work?" My mother asked, hiding her disappointment behind a smile.

We both knew she saw us on the verge of fighting.

"Of course, mother. We are done and were only giving each other feedback." I half-truthfully said.

Chiyoko immediately caught on and followed with my train of thought.

"That's true, Mrs. Ikeda. Yuri and I were done with sharing our pieces. Might I say, she did a wonderful job writing out her scenario..."

There wasn't a hint of deception in her words, which meant she genuinely thought my work was well made.

How strange.

Competitive enough to attempt to get an edge over me...

But is willing to admit something that deflates the Competition.

It irks me that I can't get a read on this girl's behavior at all.

My mother clapped happily and smiled brightly at both of us.

"That's so nice to hear! And here I was, thinking that you two held grudges towards one another. That is why I am going to assign you two to check on each other every day!" She exclaimed.

Both of us were taken aback by the news.

"What?!" We both yelled simultaneously.

She only giggled, mysteriously in response.

"It will be fine! After all, both are at the same skill level in terms of writing, so it only seems fair. Both of you are good in certain areas and therefore, can help each other. Sounds sensible, no?"

We traded looks before we look back at our boss.

And so we also sighed simultaneously.

"Very well." I accepted.

"You're the boss, Mrs. Ikeda." Chiyoko followed up.

With a gleeful nod, she walked off to check on others.

Once she was gone, we both eyes each other.

And I decided to take the first action.

"If we are working together, know that I will not hold back on critiquing you. I expect the same in return." I declared, putting my hand out.

She took my hand and shook it.

"Likewise, Yuri. I wish you the best while writing. May we continue to improve our writing with our guidance."

We finished shaking hands and were about to walk off.

But I heard a chilling whisper behind me.

" **Just know... I'm not done asking my questions...** " I heard her mutter before she walked to her workplace.

My eyes widened at the tone of her voice.

I felt my body freeze in its tracks.

...

What...?

To think...

She would be capable of saying such things...

I balled my fists up and looked back at the retreating blond figure.

Very well, I can do the same thing too.

I will not lose to the likes of you.

Mark my words, Chiyoko.

* * *

Time flew by once I was done with my shift.

I was so focused that I didn't realize that I was done.

"Whoa, I might have stayed for the night if I wasn't careful," I muttered to myself as I checked the time on my phone. "Can't do that again."

Five more minutes until my shift ends.

I'm in the home stretch right now, so I will give it my all to finish everything here and get ready for the next day.

With a burst of motivational energy, I worked hard until I needed to leave for the day.

OK, I think that's all of it.

All of my documents have been appropriately put away, and I got myself a small head-start tomorrow.

Just the way I like it.

If it were me, I would have wanted to properly fix up the head-start I got and get some of the work done, but...

Nope, nope... I can't think like that.

Come on, I am pushing myself again.

But... I can't help this excited feeling in my chest when I try to get as much done for tomorrow before it arrives.

Goodness, I'm an insufferable workaholic at times, huh?

I really need to stop myself before I go overboard.

...

Actually, Dan would probably drag me out if I do try this.

That's what kind of happened when I tried to do some of the work reserved for tomorrow.

With a simper, I walked to the break room and saw that Dan was waiting for me.

"Ah, there you are! To think you would ditch us guys to hang out with your wife instead! I never would have thought we were worthy enough to begin!" He teased, trying to get me back from last time.

I scoffed at him.

"Nice try, Dan. I know you trying to get me back, you're gonna have to better than that." I counter-teased.

He rolled his eyes.

"Tch. Whatever, shall we go then?" He groaned.

With my bag in hand, I nodded.

"Yeah, let's go."

But before we can exit, another person entered the break room.

It was Akira, and he looked somewhat stressed.

That's understandable...

After all, we all found today that we... lost out on a significant deal by another competitor.

He didn't blame us at all but painted the loss in bright light.

Like an ideal leader, in fact.

"We have lost this time, but we always have the next time. We will continue to improve and get better by the end of this. Today proves time, and time again, there is someone who is a little more ready than us. And this always has happened from time to time. We haven't won every major deal in the making. So there is no point in getting bitter over this setback. Our work on getting the deal is over, we will learn from our mistakes and improve."

A staff member asked if he regretted what he did and didn't do, to which responded with:

"There's no point in clinging to the past, the best we can do now is to focus on the future. By focusing the future and leaving our negative emotions of the best behind, we can shrug off this defeat and look forward."

Those are sage words, as expected by the CEO.

I took those words to heart if I ever wanted to succeed in being the CEO of the company one day.

All I have to do is get over it!

That way, I can do the same too!

Once he saw us, he gave us a smile.

"Ah, hello! Are you two done packing up for the day?" He asked.

We traded glances and nodded.

"Yes, we are, Mr. Ikeda. We're about to go somewhere." Dan answered.

Akira was interested in this.

"Oh? Where are you two going?"

I gave Dan a look asking if it was OK to disclose the details.

He gave me a shrug to go ahead.

"Uh... We're about to head to the bar with our friends. Do you want to join?" I asked.

Akira was pleasantly surprised by my words.

"Oh, is that so? I was also planning on going to the bar as well with some of our associates. Would you like to go there together?"

I once again looked at Dan and asked if it was OK.

He looked a little hesitant but shrugged again.

...

He said it was OK for me to get him to join, but now he's backing away?

Why?

Is there something I'm missing out on?

"It's not a problem, Mr. Ikeda," I answered. "You're free to come with us."

He lit up from my words.

"Thank you. I will get the rest of my things and lock up, please wait outside for the moment."

Akira picked up his coat and then went inside to lock up.

We took the cue to leave the building.

"Hey, Val... This is something I should let you on." Dan said as we went down the stairs.

This doesn't sound good.

I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"The boss likes to head to the bar with some of his workers on days like these. You know how it went today, right?"

Yeah...

Even though he was trying to hide his stress and frustration, he did a great job protecting it.

I was able to pick up on it because I know him outside of work.

But how he deals with it beyond me.

"He goes to the bar whether we win or not on a deal. Because of that, he tends to drink a lot. He's... He's a completely different man when he is drunk, trust me."

I raised an eyebrow to which he only gave me a nervous smile.

"A different person? Looks like it going to be a... learning experience, I guess." I said, trying to be positive.

Why do I feel that something terrible is going to happen?

Not life-threatening bad, but something harmless...

Hmm.

"It will be. And it may... paint another picture on how you view your father-in-law." My friend uttered.

I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this.

As we continued to go down the stairs, we waited for Mr. Ikeda to come down.

He gave a warm smile and led us to his car.

"Well then, let's get a move on. Get in."

We got into the car and drove straight to the bar.

The drive to the destination wasn't all that eventful since it was only a couple of minutes away from our workplace.

There we saw familiar faces going in, but we saw none of our friends there.

"They might be late since Hiro suggested this on a whim. I don't like how plans are made on a whim, but he has a fair point. We haven't hung out in a while anyway. They will be here. For now, we can enjoy some time with the company off-hours." Dan assured.

The bad feeling in my gut was about to explode.

Ugh...

I kind of want to go somewhere else but...

I am not backing out!

Come on, I let's get it together and do this!

We got out of the car and entered the bar.

I felt a sudden switch in Akira, to which I glanced at Dan.

He looked nervous as well, it was like he was waiting for an inevitable doom to arrive.

Once we sat down with the company members, Akira ordered shots, with a bit of force.

Aw, crap...

I have a feeling I am not going to like this, am I?

Everyone got a round of drinks except for me, as I wanted ginger ale instead.

Dan didn't mind my tastes, but he liked to tease me about my choice of drinks with Tom.

Hiro was the only one which also follows the belief of not drinking any alcohol ever.

For him, it's because he doesn't like the taste of beer or any wine.

But for me, I would be petrified to find out about my behavior if I do get drunk...

And because of the stories, I heard of my great-granduncle's behavior whenever he wasn't sober.

It wasn't pretty.

As soon everyone downed their shots, except me, I heard an annoyed groan coming from Akira.

"This... is not enough! Bartender! Another shot!" He yelled, catching me off guard.

I heard Dan sigh to my side.

"And so, it begins. Get ready to be in one of hell of a ride, Val." He remarked as he eyed my father-in-law.

My father-in-law was starting to grumble loudly with his coworkers, something that I wisely stepped away from.

Once Akira got another shot, he downed it instantly.

Holy shit...

"Puah! ARGH! I'm fucking pissed over here! Bartender! Another shot! No fuck that, give me a drink!"

OK, I have never heard Akira cuss like that.

It's kind of...

Scary actually.

I felt a nudge from one of my coworkers.

"Don't sweat it, Val. This is how he deals with stress. He can't be the serious, wise boss we all know and love, right?" She assured.

I chuckled nervously at this.

"Uh... Ehehe, y-yeah, I guess you're right." I mumbled, not sure how to take in this new, never before seen side of Akira.

How does he let out all the pent-up stress and anger he had over a deal?

Now that I think about it, it seems to be pretty realistic.

While the bartender poured another drink for raging CEO, he turned to us, voiding my efforts to evade him.

"Competition? Fair? What a fucking joke! That shit was rigged! Anyone who doubts me can kiss my ass! They knew they wanted to go with the damn American company instead! Can't they handle our publishing standards?! We know what we are doing for years, and this is the respect we get?! Hell, they wanted to go for the Americans first! What a fucking joke! Damn it! I can't wait for other branches to whine about this..."

I shrunk from verbal diarrhea; my boss was spewing.

Other branches?

I have a feeling it's the family that doesn't approve Akira's ascent to power...

But we should be fine, right?

He looked all around us, and each of us gave our approvals to him.

"You said it, boss!"

"Fuck them, Americans!"

"We should've won!"

When he turned to me, and he expected me to give an answer.

I have no idea what to say...

Especially since I'm American in the first place...

Uh...

"I-I agree! It was a farce from the very beginning, Mr. Ikeda! Yeah! Without a doubt!" I exclaimed with faked enthusiasm.

Before I look to my coworkers to see if it worked, Akira growled at me.

"Jones, didn't I say to my name whenever we are outside work?" He warned.

...

But you're bringing up work...

And it's embarrassing to say that in front of everyone.

He'd tear me shreds if I said that.

"Y-Yes! Of course, Akira!" I corrected, praying he would stop his tirade.

I heard some laughter as he forced me to say his first name to everyone.

"You're a good man. Glad to see you agree with me."

Once he was done with me, he continued to rant.

I mulled over the events that transpired.

Dan put his hand on my shoulder and smirked.

"That's how things have gone around here, Val. Nothing we can do, and it's a good way to have some catharsis."

I only could nod at his words.

He quickly downed the rest of the drink and looked towards me again.

Aw, shit...

Here he comes again.

"You! My son, you're bitter, aren't you? Aren't you fucking pissed that our deal was rigged from the start?!"

Wait...

My son?

When did he ever call me that?

Nevermind that, I have to answer him!

"Uh... I-I guess I am..." I muttered.

That caught his ire.

"The fuck? Why are you so calm then?! If you want to show that you're bitter, you better say it properly, motherfucker!" He yelled.

I gulped at his yell and shook my head out of it.

"Uh... I mean! Arrrrgh! I am pretty angry right now! How dare they think we are a second rate company?! We are better than that and have delivered more than the Americans!" I insulted, putting on the best-faked anger I have.

This is pretty weird to insult them since I was born and raised there for five years...

And not to mention, I still have some pride in my home country.

"That's what I want to hear from my son-in-law! Now drink up, you idiot!"

I gripped my drink.

"Y-Yes, sir! I-I mean... Dad! Err... Uh...!"

With a nervous gulp to ease my mess up, I downed the rest of my ginger ale.

"Bottoms up!"

Some of my coworkers told me to take it easy and go somewhere else for the time, but I remained steadfast.

"You sure, Val?" I heard one of my coworkers ask, obviously picking up on how uncomfortable I was around him.

I only smiled in response and waved my hand at them.

He slung his arm around my shoulder and grinned.

"You see? This is why he is my son-in-law! Always working his ass off! Always impressing me with his ideas! You all better pick up on this guy's work ethic!" He unexpectedly complimented. "To think he was able to pull such an amazing display earlier this month! Unbelievable! This kid is always trying to get me to notice him, it's cute, really!"

...

Uh...

I don't know how to feel about that.

On the one hand, I finally heard the words come from his mouth for a long time now.

I am happy now, but...

He is intoxicated right now, so I can't take it for granted.

And he is also aware that he wants me to notice my hard work.

Calling it cute...

I don't know how I feel about all this.

Argh...

* * *

I was finally done with my shift.

And so, I went straight outside and left the building without leaving to say goodbye to anyone.

At least, that is what I wanted to do.

On my way out, my rival stopped me by standing near the exit.

"Ah, Yuri. I was wondering where you were headed. I still need to ask you a few things." She said with a faked smile.

I mentally shook my head.

Anything to get the edge over me.

Unbelievable.

I didn't give the same pleasant greeting back.

"Chiyoko, whatever that you want to ask, it can wait until tomorrow. I have someplace to be today." I answered, wanting to get away from the blond perfectionist.

But instead of backing down, she put her hand while keeping her fake smile on.

And so, I glared at her.

"Don't be like that, Yuri. It won't take too long to answer. After all, you must do." She gleamed.

Never in my dreams, I would get impatient at a woman like this.

If this was me before Val and I reunited, I am sure I would be playing up to her every trick.

As a result, I will continue to resist.

"Very well, make it quick. I don't have much time to spare, Chiyoko." I demanded, now crossing my arms.

Her smile drooped to an anguished frown.

"There is no way of winning with you? Whatever, look. That scene you wrote earlier today, what was it based on? Was it based on your childhood with your so-called husband?"

...

So-called husband, hmm?

I see you now.

She is jealous.

There is no way of denying it now.

Either way, I have to keep my guard up.

She indirectly insulted my Love, and I won't stand for it!

"He is not my so-called husband. He is my husband! And yes, I used our childhood memories to help write that specific scenario. What are you getting at?!" I yelled, the last of my patience starting to wear thin.

She flinched with my yell and tried to keep calm.

"I-It's not fair... Grgh...! I just wanted to make sure, nothing more and nothing less, alright?" She meekly answered before she opened the door and slammed it in front of me.

It was deafening quiet once she finally left.

Once she was gone, I began to reassess what exactly had happened right now.

What has gotten into her?

She wouldn't be outright hostile to me no matter what!

Today also seemed relatively peaceful before I showed her my story for the first time...

...

Ah, so that must be it.

She must be annoyed by how I used my memories of my childhood sweetheart.

But why?

Jealousy?

That has to be it, but there seems to be more to it than just that.

What is it, then?

My phone vibrated, cutting me off from my thoughts.

Ah, I almost forgot about my plans!

My phone displayed a message, so I touched it to open it.

Hmm?

Why isn't it opening?

I tapped against the message again, and it asked for my fingerprint, which I gave.

That's something I will never understand about technology.

After all, I'm not the best with technology, and I need Val to help me out with any device's daily functions.

I'm grateful that he is very patient with me to teach all the intricacies of any electronic.

But enough of that.

The message showed that the group chat was about to meet up in the bar.

And so, I hurried out of the building and immediately walked towards the bar.

I gritted my teeth at the reason why I was starting to run late.

That woman...

She's such a pain!

But, when jealously strikes and some unknown agenda comes into play then...

Maybe it is understandable.

She did sound a little desperate, but that may be just me.

After a couple of minutes of speed walking, I headed inside the building and looked for my friends.

My eyes found a group that had brown, pink, and coral-pink.

There they are.

The pink-haired girl noticed me and waved at me, causing the other two girls to wave back.

I walked up to them with a small smile plastered on my face.

"Hello, everyone. Sorry, I was late, a colleague of mine had asked a few questions before I started to leave." I apologized, putting my bag down under the stool I sat.

Sayori was the first to greet me.

"It's OK, Yuri! We understand! In fact, Natsuki came around the same time you did!" She beamed.

My former rival, now best friend, frowned at Sayori's honest remark.

"Way to keep a secret, Sayori... Seriously, I was late because my dad forgot to make a delivery and asked me to do it for him. I would have made it if he wasn't so forgetful." The pinkette said, now flushed.

Monika tittered at her misfortunate.

"Ahaha... That explains why Sayori and I were the only ones here for a couple of minutes. Anyway, I'm glad that we were all able to make it on time. It's been a while since we all got together like this, right~?"

We all eyed each other and agreed with her.

"Now, let's get drunk, ladies! I had a hard day at work, and I really need to drown my stresses out!" She declared, motioning the bartender to come to us.

I took a closer look at Monika, and she was indeed stressed.

But she wasn't as stressed as before.

...

That's right.

When she realized her childhood friend and love fell for me, she was absolutely devastated.

She didn't come to school for almost a week, and we missed out on a club meeting as a result.

I hadn't realized how much she loved for Val.

In fact, she asked me to go to the park to properly talk things through.

Once I met her there, she poured her heart out to me.

"Yuri... I tried to think of the right words to say, but I keep forgetting them because of how... It doesn't matter anymore. I just want to say congratulations. I am glad that you gave my best friend some love in his life. I... I shouldn't be saying this, but I didn't tell this to anyone, not even to Val, but I still love him. I still think of him as my soulmate despite you taking him... It's so wrong for me to say that, but my mind just refuses to process that Val isn't mine anymore. Don't worry, Yuri. I won't try anything funny, no matter what my mind says. I will support you with everything I got. Besides, it's the least I can do as his friend and... it will take my mind off things. If I do love him, then I will support him too."

Her confession broke my heart.

I didn't believe how much Monika had locked away all those years they were together.

And I cried...

I cried because I broke my best friend's heart.

After all, I am a crybaby.

Of course, my husband comforted me the best he could and doted on me, but I didn't tell him why I was so sad.

At times I would blame myself for grief, but I knew better once I realized it was Val's volition to fall for me alone.

He has said that a relationship with her wouldn't work if there wasn't a spark.

After all, he always viewed the perfectionist as a sister he had, despite the latter never want that to happen.

Ever since I poured my heart to Val on how much I loved him now, and when we were kids, I never doubted myself.

"We can't make everyone happy, Yuri." He said. "The least we can do is to do our best and keep doing whatever we can."

Those words are something I always kept close to my heart, and it's what allowed our relationship to continue.

It's what has made me happy as well.

And this is the happiness I will never trade for anything in the world.

The drinks we ordered finally came over, and we all brought our glasses together.

"Cheers!"

And we downed the drinks.

* * *

As he continued to rant and brag about me, I looked towards Dan.

He was looking at his phone, checking for messages.

Once he was done scrolling, he looked up to me and motioned me to come over.

I nodded and pulled my father-in-law's arm off me.

He noticed that I was leaving.

"Eh? Hey, where do you think you're goin'?"

I gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Akira. I am gonna meet with my friends right now."

That apparently made him frown, and he let out the same serious vibe he always showed at work.

"Aw, don't you want to spend more time with your boss and father-in-law?"

Dan came to the rescue as he watched the events unfold.

"With all due respect, sir, this was our plan in the first place. So if you don't mind, we will be-"

Akira turned his gaze to my close friend.

"I wasn't asking you, Mr. Miyazaki. I'm asking Mr. Jones." He coldly cut off, now turning his gaze back to me. "Now, will you disobey an order from a superior, or will you listen to your boss?"

Our coworkers and Dan quietly observed the interaction between me and my father-in-law, each holding their breath on what will happen next.

Damn it.

He's leaving me no choice.

I want to spend time with my friends after a long time not seeing them because of their schedules, and here he is, stopping from doing so.

This all may be a test in all honesty.

And besides, he's getting on my nerves anyway, so I will give him a piece of my mind.

I balled my hand up and readied myself to stand my ground.

If any goes wrong...

I will take responsibility.

Maybe, this will show how serious I can when I get backed into a corner.

"Akira, I'm only going to say this once. I refuse to spend time more with you because I already had other plans in place. Not only that, but you also are not my boss right now. We are now simply father-in-law and son-in-law, right now. So your order is null and void. I'll be going right now, alright?"

The area around us was now deafeningly quiet, while the rest of the bar was still as loud before.

I awaited my response as the man simply stared into my eyes.

We stared at each other without giving a response.

"Hm." He let out before letting a small smile crack his grim lips. "Very good. Even when I am down this much liquor, you're able to keep your ground. Well done, Jones. Go on, I won't keep you any longer."

All the tension I kept in was finally released as a result.

...

Phew!

I had a feeling it was a test!

But I didn't expect it when we are all relaxing, though...

Well, he did compliment me, so I guess it is something, right?

With a nod, I walked towards Dan, who was awestruck.

"Wow... you talked down the boss! You really know when to pull out the big guns, don't you?" He remarked.

I shrugged as we kept walking towards our waiting friends.

"Hey, I needed to stand up to him sooner or later. Especially since we have plans in place. Even if he wasn't father-in-law, I would still said those exact words no matter what." I simply said.

Dan grunted, amused with my response, and caught up to me.

We found our friends and sat down beside them.

"Ah, there you guys are! What took you?" Hill-Top asked, raising a glass to us. "We were just about to start."

Hiro smiled at both of us as we answered his question.

"Well, Val here, had to talk down our boss so we can leave. The guy said it so firmly and professionally, I was mesmerized by it." He complimented, causing me to flare up as a result.

Way to start things off, Dan.

"Come on, Dan. It wasn't like that... You know it. I just had to say what I had to say and left. It was a test, after all."

Hiro shook his head at me.

"Yeah, knowing you, you probably lectured him a little about he wasn't your boss or something right now and left. Isn't that right?" He wistfully said, which a little uncharacteristic for him.

I looked away for him to laugh and point at me.

"Ahah! Got him! I knew it went like that!" He cheered, showing more of his usual personality. "I had to the same thing, sort of, for my boss too. I just told him he isn't technically my boss right now since it's after hours and left. He liked how I told him off, so I got a small promotion from it."

Tom groaned and downed the shot he had in his hands.

"Lucky bastard. My boss pulled the same thing and didn't buy into my excuse. I should have thought of the same thing you guys did..."

We three looked at each and then smugly looked down on Tom.

"What?" He asked, eyeing our stares.

We all simultaneously said, "Loser." before laughing it off.

Tom downed another shot; as a result, annoyed with our antics.

Once we were all finally seated and comfortable, we got our drinks.

As usual, I got myself another glass of ginger ale, intent on finishing it slowly.

Tom rolled his eyes on my choice of drink.

"Seriously, Val? You still don't want to take a swig at some liquor?" He teased. "Even Hiro's joining in the action for once."

I faced Hiro and saw he had a drink in his hands.

"Heh, yeah, I'm good. Someone's gotta drive you guys home, right?" I counter-teased. "Besides, I'm high on life right now, and I think I'm better than everyone here."

OK, that last part is a joke but still...

My other two friends hissed at my words.

Tom smirked and down his drink.

"Woo! Yeah, you may be high on 'life' right now, but too bad you'll never be rad like us." He fired back, ordering another glass. "Loser."

Oh, that is pretty good, actually.

Especially since he managed to get me back for saying that to him.

I managed to hang on from his words and mount another comeback.

"So throwing your guts up and waking up to a skull-splitting headache is considered rad? If that's the case, then I don't want to be 'rad.' I'll stick to drinking ginger ale and water." I said, taking another sip of my ginger ale. "Also, I tried some vodka before for one of those parties I had to go with my father-in-law, that stuff felt like it burned my throat. The after-effects just annoyed me, and I just wanted it to be over with."

Hiro nodded and snapped his fingers at me.

"That's why you don't start with vodka first. That has one of the most alcoholic drinks in the world. You should have gone with sake first. But I get what you mean, Val. I'm making a special exception and drink only a little today. Besides, it's gonna take a while for me to get drunk for me."

Dan put his hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Well, that's enough getting this prude to get drunk with us. Let's continue downing these drinks, shall we?"

Hmm...

Prude?

Why does it feel like Monika called me that before?

Is it because I...

Well, I don't usually make the first move whenever we have-

Argh!

What am I saying?!

Since when did Monika and I have intercourse?!

My first time and anything after that is with Yuri, no one else!

Jeez, so the word is strangely associated with Monika.

When will this weird deja vu end?

"Brooklyn! Yo! Brooklyn, are you good?!" Hill-Top called, causing me to snap out of it. "It looked like you were out of it for a bit there, are you OK?"

I shook my head and looked back at him.

"Huh? I mean, yeah. Yeah, I am. Don't worry."

Hiro shot me a worried look, but I smiled at him to reassure him I was OK.

Dan was next, and he knew what was going on.

"Yeah, Val's fine, there's nothing to worry about." He reassured, causing them to sigh.

He shot me a look asking if it happened again.

"Yep, I don't understand why, either. I'm fine now."

Dan knows about why I would occasionally zone out because of the deja vu I would be feeling.

He too sometimes gets it, and it confuses him.

Whenever I ask him what it's about, he is adamant about not telling me, citing it wasn't 'important' for me know.

That will always get me curious, but Dan made sure to shoot down any attempts of me asking.

Seriously, I wonder what deja vu moments he gets to the point he won't say anything?

But he isn't budging, then I won't ask.

I shouldn't, anyway.

We continued to drink until the three started showing signs of being drunk.

"Yeah... Everything is starting... Yep, here it is." Dan muttered, trying to shake himself out of it.

Tom had his hands on the desk and was starting to sway.

"Whoaaa...! It's like my hands aren't there anymore!"

The hell?

I didn't expect him to get drunk like that...!

Hiro was the only one who was still in control.

"Man, what a pain... The two are drunk right now." He said before he looked at me. "Val, I got this. And from the looks of it, we are gonna be here for a while. Do you wanna go home early?"

I shrugged.

"Might as well, right? I'll leave the rest to you."

He nodded and brought his hand out.

I took it and gave him a one-handed hug.

"See you around, Hiro."

He smiled and patted me on the back.

"Peace, man. Don't be a stranger, alright?"

I smiled and patted back.

"Yeah, I won't. Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep in contact." I assured, now taking my leave.

I paid for everyone's drinks as a gift and made my way out.

But before I was about to leave, I noticed a purple blob to my left.

I turned my head, and I widened my eyes at sight.

Huh...?

Wait a minute is that...

As I focused my gaze on the purple color, I saw a brown, pink, and coral pink.

Monika, Natsuki and Sayori.

They all look like they are doing well too.

Especially Monika...

She is looking a lot better while laughing with her friends now.

I was pleasantly surprised by coincidence.

Well, well, well.

I didn't expect to see Yuri here in the same bar as me.

But then again, this is the closest bar in the area and our workplaces.

I should mention our workplaces are on the same block, so I shouldn't be that surprised to see them.

My legs moved towards them, but then I noticed Yuri's smile as she spoke to her friends.

But I stopped in place.

Wait.

I shouldn't go there.

They are having fun right now.

If I just waltzed right in, I might ruin things for them.

So the best thing to do here is to let them be.

I guess the only thing I can do is get my car ready and wait for Yuri.

I turned around and walked towards the door.

"Hey! Where do you think yer goin'?!" I heard a familiar pinkette yell, before laughing it off.

My heart stopped for a bit as I froze in my tracks.

I turned to see what they were doing and saw it was business as usual.

Hmm.

They are probably just telling a story or something and need some dramatic effect.

For some reason, I didn't see Yuri in the group with them.

Hmm, probably went to get more drinks or went to the bathroom.

After all, alcohol's a diuretic, so I don't blame her if she needs to go to the toilet.

With a sigh, I walked towards the door and was about to push against it, until I heard heavy breathing behind me.

Oh for the love of-

I turned around with a small glare before I saw who it was.

What the...?

Before I could even get a good look at whoever was behind, the entity crushed me in a bone-breaking hug.

I recoiled back and struggled to keep my balance.

"Urk! What the hell?!"

I looked down and saw the familiar silky purple hair I loved so much.

Yuri?!

"Loveeee~! Hehehe~! I didn't think I would find you hereeeee~!" She giggled, rubbing her face against my chest. "You're soooooo reliable~!"

The onlookers smirked at what was unfolding in front of me.

"I loveeeee you~! Loveee~! Loveeee~!" Yuri cutely chanted, causing my heart to beat uncontrollably. "Even when I don't expect you to be here... I somehow found yooooouuuu~! Loooovvveeee~!"

Aw shit...

This definitely doesn't look good!

She pulled away from my chest and revealed her crazed, sharpened purple eyes.

There was a slight twitch on her right eye, and she was grinning happily.

Yep, she is definitely drunk.

I pulled her aside from the door and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Yuri, Yuri, Yuri, come on, listen to me. I'll be waiting outside whenever you're done with your get-together. So-"

Without giving me a warning, she lunged at me and stole my lips.

"Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmm!" I complained as she kissed me.

I forcibly pulled away and tried to glare at her, but her embarrassment kissing me in front of onlookers got to me.

She licked her lips, her tongue slowly but lewdly covering every part of her lips.

"Mmm... I love how your lips taste, my Love. I couldn't help myself... Especially since you are soooooo considerate of me~!"

The drunken woman tried to score another kiss, but I put my hand on her forehead to stop her from doing so.

She struggled and tried to use her outstretched hands as leverage, but I didn't budge.

Once she gave up, she let a cute whine.

"Come oonnnnn~! I want a kisssss~! Kisssss meeee~!" The woman mewled.

I sighed and kept my ground.

"Look, I'll be waiting outside. Just let me know when- huh?!"

With an impressive amount of strength, Yuri dragged me.

What the hell?!

"Yuri, where are we going?!" I yelled, hoping to get the crazed woman's attention.

She didn't turn around.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We're going somewhere familiar!"

I gulped at the possible implications of this.

Please don't be in the bathroom.

We were once in the bar to hang out once our shifts were on, and it resulted in Yuri cutely wanting to go to the bathroom with me.

I obliged, thinking she may need some help, but I soon realized it was a booty-call.

Because of how tired I was and how seductive she was, I relented and gave her a quickie fix before we went home to finish the deed.

As I begged to not go towards the bathroom, she instead dragged me to where everyone was seated.

Apparently, my friends found her friends and sat together.

Hmm...

Why do I get a feeling that I am going to be super embarrassed right now?

Hiro looked a little dumbfounded when he saw that I was coming back, albeit a little hesitantly.

"I thought you were going home, Val. What's wrong, boss?" He teased with a smirk.

I gave a glare at his words.

"Too bad that he didn't go, I feel like he is going to suck the life out of his since he is a black hole after all, am I right?" Dan added.

Monika laughed at this joke.

"Haha! Ah, I get it..." She commented, now smirking at me. "Hey Val, I didn't expect to see you around here."

I rolled my eyes, secretly happy that she was happy as well.

"Yeah, hello to you too." I greeted, now looking at the other two girls. "It's been a while, Nat, Sayori, how are you guys doing?"

Nat, for some reason, looked pained but shook out of it.

And I think I knew the reason why.

She is those strange attacks of deja vu, too.

But like Dan, she refuses to tell me why.

She said it might hurt Yuri or even me.

And not to mention, I totally forgot about her when Yuri had that dilemma all those years ago.

That hurt her a lot since she harbored some romantic feelings me at that time.

I rejected her sure, but the way I dismissed her when Yuri dragged me to confess also hurt me.

For that reason, I should've done something.

"Hey, Val. I've been doing great..." She muttered with a small smile.

Sayori excitedly bounced in, causing Natsuki to down a glass of sake down.

"I've been doing great! Hic! Tommy and I, hic, are going to get married later this hic, this year!" She announced.

I glanced at Hill-Top and saw he was nodding a little dazedly.

Yuri went up to my ear and whispered to me.

"Love? When are we going to have our ceremony?" She asked.

I looked towards her and flashed her a smile.

"Don't worry, we'll have it soon," I reassured, causing her to hug me tightly. "Gah! Seriously?!"

Yuri simply giggled in response.

"Hehehe~! I can't waiiiiitttt~! I lovvvvveeee you~!" She voiced loudly.

I felt my face heat up from her drunken, but cute behavior.

Their amused stares were starting to get to me.

"I, uh... I know. C-Can you get off me, Yuri?" I asked.

But instead of her complying, she hugged me tightly and puffed her cheeks out.

"I don't wannna~! If I let go of you, I think you'll disappeaaaar~! Let me kiss youuuuu~!"

Yep, I knew the bad feeling in my gut was telling the right thing.

* * *

The next day arrived somewhat quickly.

And I woke up confused at first.

My head was cushioned by Yuri's warm pillows once I opened my eyes.

She saw me wake up and smiled.

"Oh! You're finally awake! I'm here to service you in any way I can! Pyon!"

...

...

...

Pyon?

What the hell is going on?!

Why is my wife in a bunny girl cosplay with those fuzzy bunny ears on her head?!

"Yuri... Why? Why are you doing this? It doesn't make sense..." I muttered as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

She frowned from my words.

"Uuuh... Don't look so disappointed in me... I wanted to try this for quite some time now."

I raised an eyebrow at this.

"Cosplay? I never thought you were into this. I thought this was something Natsuki did or something. Wait, did you lose a bet?"

She puffed her cheeks and squeezed her chest against my exposed self.

"Nooo! I thought this cosplay outfit looked cute... And maybe you would like it. Natsuki hand-picked this specific outfit... So please, let me seduce you!"

...

What?

"Yuri, I'm flattered that you're doing this first thing in the morning, but you know how I am in the mornings... I'm not ready to say: 'OK! I'm ready to be seduced by you angelic bunny girl!' at this time."

My wife gave me a low whine from my behavior and words.

"Aww... Can you at least try? Please? If this doesn't make you happy, then I put on this rather embarrassing outfit for nothing...

Tears started to well up in Yuri's eyes as she quivered in embarrassment.

"Alright, alright! Please don't cry! We can continue with this!" I begged, hoping she wouldn't burst into tears. "I'm sorry... I'm thankful that you went this far to please me!"

In an instant, she gave me a giddy smile.

"R-Really? I can continue?"

I nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, go right ahead... I'm actually a little surprised by this. This goes without saying, but you're smoking hot with a bunny suit, Yuri. I think I'm starting to get turned on, despite the time..." I reassured.

Her purple eyes glimmered with hope.

"I-Is that so? Then... Then I will proceed to please you, Beloved! Pyon!"

Might as well not comment on the 'pyon' she is doing right now.

Yuri slightly closed her eyes and proceeded to push her lips against my mine, before moving down to where I was swollen.

Before long, her voluptuous chest finally began to move.

"Here... Here... Here we go..." She muttered to herself.

I felt her soft white chest press together, glancing at me to see how well I was reacting.

"Ngh..."

She still kept her timid eyes on me as I reacted.

She pressed her chest closer together, even more, rubbing them against me with more intensity.

There was still one thing that was missing.

But before I could even say anything, she knew right away.

She trails her wet tongue down my shaft while continuing to stroke me with her ample chest.

"Mmph... Mmm... How is it? Pyon?"

I felt myself gritting my teeth.

"Pretty good..."

She flared up and opened her mouth slightly before taking me in.

Waves of mild pleasure tingled my spine.

"Mm... Haaah... I never thought... mm... that you would throb this much inside my mouth, pyon..."

I grinned at a possible chance to tease her.

"Oh, is that so? But what exactly is throbbing in your mouth?" I asked.

Her eyes widened but quickly turned a dark shade of purple.

She trailed her tongue up and licked her lips.

"Your cock, of course. I love it when it throbs whenever I polishing it! Pyon!"

My heart jumped as she said with such confidence and moxie.

She smirked as she saw my reaction.

Looks like she is a little aware of how being direct elicits a response from me.

Tricky girl...

"I'm going to make you feel good, Val... Pyon...!"

And now the pyon effect was starting to get to me as well.

With a mix of stimulating and saying those dirty phrases, I was nearing my limit pretty quickly.

She licked, sucking, and rubbed at me all the same time, causing me to rapidly lose my defenses.

I strained myself, so I wouldn't give in so easily.

"Damn...!"

Yuri giggled as I tried to hold it in.

"Oh? Don't hold it in, my love... I want in my mouth. Come now! Let it all out... pyon!"

I glared at the taunting girl, feeling my ego getting a little bruised by this.

"You marked yourself for death..." I muttered as she continued to twist her tongue and head on me.

From those words, she started sucking onto me violently.

She was in a playful mood, and I really couldn't keep up with how the rate she was going in.

"Mmm...! So good...! I want it... I want it! Pyon!"

Her dirty talk almost caused me to release it all.

But I had a little more steam to go on.

"Khh!"

Yuri's movements grew more and more aggressive by the second, my resistance rapidly diminishing.

"Don't stop yourself, OK? I want you to let it alllllll~ out! Make sure that I get dirtied as a result! Pyoooon~!"

I gripped the covers of the bed as I felt myself about to release.

My wife saw this and engulfed me quickly, now pushing herself in every way possible to get to climax.

"Gaaah! Y-Yuri! I'm about to come!"

She didn't respond to me. Instead, she rubbed, swirled, and sucked vigorously in response, desperately trying to wring me.

I was overwhelmed by the waves of pleasure, and I felt my body tingle with bliss.

My hips gave out, and I twitched uncontrollably as I felt my climax eject into Yuri's mouth.

Her warm, moist mouth caused me to thrust upwards, causing her to nearly deepthroat me.

With each twitch came a payload, and she was able to gulp it all down.

She pulled away from my still hardened manhood and opened her mouth to show all the semen I unloaded onto her.

Once she showed me, she gulped it all in and licked her lips.

"Delicious. It has your **taste**... And I love it so much! Pyon!"

Another minor burst came out, staining her face and chest a little.

"The smell... It's so arousing! I must have more! Give me more! Pyon!"

I clutched my pounding heart as I took ragged breaths.

"D-Damn... That felt amazing. Give me a sec to catch my breath."

Once I caught my breath, I motioned Yuri over.

She pushed me down and straddled.

"I'll be on top today. After all, I'm here to service you. Pyon!"

I eyed her.

"Fine, but I don't forget about your death warrant," I warned. "It's still coming."

Because we have done this routine repeatedly, Yuri's womanhood had molded entirely to the shape of my manhood.

Once she lowered her hips, I was able to slide in easily.

The pressure gets more and more intense as I move in, her soft folds beckon me deeper inside.

Yuri rubs her clitoris against my crotch as she moved her hips back and forth.

Because of her body, she can push me further inside her.

"Mmm...! Ah...! Haah... D-Does this feel good? Pyon?" She asked.

I only nodded in response.

Yuri wasn't constricting me uncomfortably.

Her movements were merely pleasant.

I felt myself hitting a particular area that I was familiar with.

"Haah...! Beloved, do you love my pussy? Pyon?"

I nodded again, which cause her to tighten up in joy.

"Really?!"

I gritted my teeth.

"Y-Yeah! I love it...! And I love you!"

Her eyes widened from my words.

"Haaauh! Uuuuh! Not fair! You can't say that! Pyon...!"

Now that the tables of turned, I decided to take charge as usual.

I started moving, causing her to arch her back.

"Waaah! AAAH! Heeeey! I'm supposed to... Pyon... I am supposed to take the lead! I'm to pleasure you!"

I glared at her.

"How many times do I have to teach you this? Do you honestly think you keep me still for that long?! You idiot, don't get ahead of yourself! Now let go!"

I vigorously upped my tempo with each thrust.

"Ngggaaaah! W-Wait! You're thrusting too fast! I-I'm gonna come immediately! Stop! AAAAH!"

She can't give it up sometimes...

That's why I love her.

"Did you not hear me? Let go! Hrgh!"

Yuri's womanhood wriggled around me, trying to squeeze an orgasm out of it.

Tch!

I don't think so!

I braced myself as I continued to thrust.

Yuri started to quiver uncontrollably as she began to orgasm.

"Wait! No! I'm... I'm gonna! GHHHAAAAA!"

Even though she was orgasming, I didn't slow my rhythm in the slightest. Instead, I continued to jackhammer her.

"Nhaaah! Val, please! Please have some mercy! You meanie! UUUUUGH! I don't think...! GYAAAH!"

I scoffed at her.

"You know me well enough that I follow through with my promises. No mercy!"

The folds of her walls quiver intensely around, causing her to roll eyes back into her head.

With each thrust, her elegant dignity and intelligence seemed to diminish.

"Yaaah! Shooo good! Val! This... is amassing! More! I want more! Pyoooon!"

Oh, she wants more?

I got just the place.

I pulled out and started to prod against her butt.

"Y-Yeeeesss! Plug it in thereeeee!"

First thing's first, though.

I spun my wife around and laid her close to me.

From there, I lifted her up and entered her butt.

Yuri's surprisingly light, given her curvy body and ample chest, but there were times where she felt heavy.

She gritted her teeth in pain at first but soon welcomed my movements.

"Nnngaaaah! Aaaaah! Ooooooh!"

Her butt for pushed more and more of me out, which didn't surprise me.

Pushing my way into her despite the constant resistance felt very satisfying.

"You're one dirty woman. So very dirty. I'm gonna break your ass in half!"

And so I started to thrust violently into her, causing her to spasm into my body.

Her eyes rolled back, and her tongue wagged freely in the hair from my intense thrusts.

"Aaaah! Aaaaaaaaah! Uuuugh...!"

I was careful not to insert my entirety into her. As I knew it, that would be very painful.

"Do you like having your butt being torn up? Do you?"

She tried to formulate a sentence but failed royally.

"Yeesssh, I dhooo! I love having my butt tornnnn by youuu!"

Unbelievable.

She is a freak in bed.

"You're incredibly slutty. But I still love you- Gaaah!"

Once I said I loved her, her butt tightened suddenly, catching me completely off-guard.

"Hey! What's with you all of a sudden! Why are you... Hrk! Tightening?!"

She whined.

"My buttttt doesn't listen to meeeee... When you said you love meee, I can't help itttt!"

I gritted my teeth, feeling myself about explode.

"Damn it! You're still doing it! My stamina's being eviscerated by your tight ass!"

"I'm sworrrry!"

And she's moe as well?!

I'm gonna burst!

"If you really in your ass, then have at it! Haaa!"

I twisted my hips and started to stir up, causing her to spazz out of control.

"UUUUH! AAAAH! AH! AAAAAAH! You're making me come from my buttttt!"

Her constant squeezing finally broke me to the point where I needed to release.

As Yuri orgasmed, her butt clenched tightly down on me so tightly that I would have severed me.

"Ugggh!"

At that moment, I released myself into her butt.

Her back arched upwards and felt her contract.

She then started to urinate on the bed.

Aw, crap!

"Hey! Wait! Stop! Yuri!"

She was entirely in her own world as she emptied her bladder onto the bed.

"Hehehe... Splissssh..."

I was horrified right now.

"Splish?! Are you serious?! You're making a mess! Aw, man!"

Yuri was ultimately in bliss right now.

"Haaah~!"

I saw the stain she made on the bed.

"Arrrrgh! You! You made a mess over the bed! Stop looking so satisfied!"

* * *

It's been a week ever since we all went to the bar.

Today was the anniversary of when Love and I confessed and had our first kiss.

We planned on going on a date tomorrow, and so we got the next day off for both of us.

Having parents that work in the same company does have it's benefits.

My mother works in the writing and scripting department while my father works in the publishing and manufacturing department.

They need each other to work correctly and generate revenue.

It's a strange analogy to say that it is almost how they need each other in their lives.

Of course, they love each other ever since they met in Ainu.

Maybe...

Once Val and I do have kids...

We can be the right-hands of our respective parents.

If that is the case, then we can provide for our children.

Even though Love never told me how many children he wanted, I feel he wants twins.

I'm basing this off out of my womanly intuition alone...

But I have a feeling I'm correct.

After all, my mother did say this is the age when her intuition started to kick in.

Since I was home early today, I was making a special meal for the occasion.

It was one of my husband's favorite foods, Salisbury steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese.

Even though he has lived in this country for far longer than he lived in America, he still loves one of their trademark foods.

But I don't mind at all, since cooking American foods was always a good change of pace of what we usually eat.

Once I was done cooking, I placed the contents into two plates and put them on across from each other.

It was getting relatively dark outside, which meant my husband was almost coming back home.

He did say he is working a little overtime so he wouldn't feel left behind when he comes back the following day.

I hope he isn't overworking himself, something he loves to do.

But after my lecture about that, I think he has learned his lesson and does his work in moderation.

And so, I sat down, dimmed the lights and lit candles for a more romantic experience for both of us.

The darkness was starting to etch closer and closer to me until the candles' warm light drove them out.

I let out a sigh and tried to suppress the memories that inevitably pushed my way towards me.

All this...

It reminds me of my darkest times.

Something I don't ever want to go back to.

I... I remember being alone, scared and confused all at the same time.

The feelings that I felt when I was alone that day...

I wouldn't wish them on anyone.

Not onto Chiyoko, no matter how antagonistic she may be.

The door opened and closed, showing my husband has finally arrived.

"Whoa, it's dark in here. Hi, Honey. Sorry for being a little late today. I worked overtime today." He greeted, his smile wiping any doubt in me. "Something about some new transfers coming to the company the following day. But it's nothing to worry about, I hope."

I smiled back and kissed him, driving back the dark thoughts I had within me.

We kept it brief as I pulled away first.

"Hello, Beloved. You told me this before. I only hoped you didn't push yourself. You don't need to remind you why you shouldn't push yourself, right?"

My husband sighed but kept his smile.

"No, that won't be necessary, Yuri. You scolded me so hard that I can still hear the echoes of your voice whenever I close my eyes, hehe."

His eyes inevitably looked at the table and saw the food on the table.

"Salisbury steak? You're going for that extra mile, aren't you? And didn't I tell you to wait for me so we can cook together?"

I put my hand on my hip and looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"So, you expected me to wait for you to finish working overtime and eat at the dead of night?" I countered.

He rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly.

"Ow... OK, that had a strong kick. Fair point, but I still want to cook with you whenever I can, alright?" He said, now pulling his dress shirt and tie off.

That is if it happens...

We sat down across from each other and started to relax.

"Mm. I see you went for the extra romantic route, huh? The lights are off, we got a scented candle going on, and... relatively new cutlery? Are we going to eat as the aristocrats do?"

I shook my head.

"If you know how to. I added them for decoration." I answered.

We sat down and started to eat.

"Thanks, Yuri. This looks amazing. I can't wait to dig in." Beloved exclaimed, now taking the wrong knife to cut the steak.

I smiled happily at how giddy he was.

When he was like this, it made me happy too.

But something muddled that feeling.

My husband took a bite out of the steak and hummed in delight.

"Yep! I'm gonna say it right here! Better than any five-star restaurant! This is delicious as always, Honey! Mmm!"

Even when he complimented me, I didn't feel like I floating amongst the clouds.

He looked up to me with sparkling eyes, genuinely in bliss from the food I made.

Even when he looked at me with his loving onyx eyes, I couldn't look back at him.

What's going on with me...?

Even when he sat down with me and only the two of us, I felt something creep up onto me.

It was a feeling that I knew all too well.

No...

Why is this happening?

Is it because this is the first time we did this...?

My world started to twist and turn.

"Leave me alone! I don't care about your book!"

I felt my breathing starting to become unsteady.

"Why are you into something as dangerous as that?!"

Everything was starting to turn blurry for me.

"You're way too intense about this! Stop it and calm down, you're annoying me!"

These symptoms were all too familiar indeed.

That could be, but the feelings are coming back and they...

"You're a freak! You like knives that much?! Weirdo!"

I felt the stabbing sensation on my wrists as I started to blackout.

They hurt.

"Yuri? What's wrong? Yuri!" I heard a faint voice call.

The pain finally stopped as soon as everything went black.

...

...

...

I didn't understand what was going on, but I felt the need to wake up.

But no matter how hard I tried, my eyes wouldn't budge.

I can feel my breathing being more and more raggedly.

My lungs cried out for oxygen as I gasped for air.

The heavyweight in my chest and the stinging sensation on my forearm started to be too much for me.

But as soon as I felt some refreshing splash over my face, I was able to control my body once more.

My breathing finally stabilized, and the pain on my arms started to stop.

"Uuuuh..." I groaned, trying to open my eyes.

The world was still blurry to me, but I managed to at least open them.

All I saw was blobs of light, and I had no idea what they were.

I blinked a couple of times, and I finally was able to recognize what I was seeing.

...

I'm at my home.

No, instead, my husband's and my home.

The face in front of me was foreign, but I knew exactly who it was.

Val...

The love of my life.

He was pale and looked terrified, but was relieved when I finally came to.

"Beloved...?" I uttered.

That was all he needed to hug me tight.

He let out a shaky breath.

"Thank goodness... I thought you had a heart attack or a cardiac arrest or... No, it doesn't matter. I'm glad that you're OK... are you?"

Beloved pulled away from me and looked me in the eye.

"I... I think I am fine. W-What happened?" I asked, confused.

He frowned and looked beside him.

On the table behind him was a glass of water, which he used to wake me up.

"You... fainted. At least that's what I think happened. I know for a fact that something triggered this. Were you tired today? Did anything happen in work that stressed you out?" He frantically asked.

I shook my head and tried to push myself off the sofa, to which he gently pushed me down.

"Don't get up just yet, Yuri. Let your body catch up a little. Now tell, any idea why this might have happened?"

The room wasn't as dark as it was previously was.

Instead, it was lit up with no traces of the dark anywhere.

Ah, I now know what happened.

I nodded and looked at my spouse's eyes.

"It's because of a repressed memory started to open, Val. That memory let out some dark feelings within me that... pains me physically. It was a bleak, bleak time, and it is something I locked away so that I may never think about it to hurt me."

My husband's eyes flickered at this.

"Repressed memories... for some reason, I know exactly what you mean. I don't know how I know about this, but it doesn't matter. Please... tell me what happened. I think it will help ease the pain a little. Keeping it bottled up will... just hurt you more and more."

I looked unsure about this.

It wasn't because I didn't want to share my most hidden memory.

But mainly because I didn't want to experience the emotions and pain again.

My hands felt a firm grip.

It was my husband's hand.

"I know it will hurt, but I'm here now... Even when I wasn't there to be with you in your darkest times, I'm here now. So please... talk to me, Yuri."

I looked into his pleading, onyx eyes.

And it gave me all the strength I would ever need to finally open up.

This was due a long time ago but now was good at any time as any.

"You won't go anywhere... Will you, Val?" I meekly asked.

He shook his head.

"No, I won't. I promise. I will stick by you until the very end." He declared.

Those words were all I needed to let the floodgates open.

"My story begins back when I was in middle school."

* * *

My parents were very busy at this time since the economy was at an all-time high.

This meant the corporation experienced unprecedented change and growth.

They both worked tirelessly throughout the day, and I came home alone more and more often.

My younger sister was away at some boarding elementary school in Russia, so I was alone.

There was no one to comfort me when I needed it.

I unlocked the door of my home and ran inside.

Today, in particular, was a bad day.

Everything that could go wrong did.

My tears streamed down my cheeks as I collapsed over my doormat.

One after another, I was harassed by the bullies I despised so much.

They all picked on me and embarrassed me for my personality and interests.

Since no one was home, I cried and bawled.

No matter how loudly I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I sobbed uncontrollably, wondering why I was always a victim of abuse by classmates...

No one would ever hear them.

Ever all I was home alone.

Who would hear me?

Everyone in my family was far apart from me.

Once I finished my routine crying, I went upstairs and entered my room.

I...

I remember that I came off as very intense when I was younger.

Almost like how I was before you confessed again when we were in my mother's garden.

Hot-blooded and passionate.

That apparently translated into annoying and restless according to my classmate's treatment.

And so, I was treated as a menace and would continually get bullied by everyone.

No teacher or guidance counselor cared about my problems.

They thought I was exaggerating it.

But they never cared about the students in the first place.

They all have been desensitized by our chaotic, teenage nature.

I don't think I blame them...

My room was dark, as always.

The darkness was always around me whenever I was in my room.

Nothing went in or out when I finally arrived.

And so, I cried more.

Didn't I tell you that I was always a crybaby?

How I would cry and cry until I fell asleep only to wake up and cry more?

That never changed.

I would cry myself to sleep in my dark, dark room and wake up to cry some more.

When I came to, I remembered why I was crying.

It was like I said.

I was having a terrible day.

The bullying in that one particular day was the worst.

The constant disgust in their voices forced me to clutch my head in pain.

I felt my face grow cold as I thought their angry, charred words striking me.

And so, I moved closer and closer to my knives.

I won't ever forget when you defended me against those bullies at the end of our date...

They said how weird I was for having an interest in knives.

But what you said...

It is one of the reasons why I love you so much.

You said: "People like different things for a reason."

Even when I was trying my best to blot out the voices of those... people...

I heard you say that.

Someone so open-minded to my likes and dislikes is something I always wanted.

I opened my display case and picked up one of the knives.

It was a massive, blue blade, with gems encrusted on the hilt.

My grandmother was the reason why I was so into knives in the first place.

They are beautiful.

Sharp, but beautiful when crafted by the best blacksmiths.

Today was the day I decided enough was enough.

I pulled my uniform's sleeves back and lowered the knives onto my wrists.

Maybe the beauty of the blade was mesmerizing enough to take the pain away.

Maybe if... I cut myself the beauty that can make things better.

I felt the heavy blade poke against my skin.

Just a little more force, it would pierce through me.

Just a little more force, I may have found a coping method.

I closed my eyes and was about to push the blade down, but...

There was a voice that told me not to do it.

It was more of a cacophony of indecipherable noises.

But I somehow was able to understand.

And what it told me was that if I did push and pull down, it would be an experience that will corrupt me to the very core.

My hands were shaking, and I felt the blade starting to swivel under my grip.

But before I could do anything else, I felt a presence behind me.

My parents were there.

I remember my father grabbing the knife out of my hands and crushing me in a hug.

I remember my mother crying and hugging me as, whispering my name over and over again.

I remember that when I started to cry, something in me changed.

Maybe it was a realization that things needed to change for good.

And that happened.

That's when I started to become a total recluse.

That's when I started to adopt the behavior you saw when we met again.

Quiet, timid, and hesitant to do anything.

Once my father found out what was going on in school, he transferred me to another middle school, which was a private one.

He was furious once I told him everything I went through.

In fact, I don't think I saw my father ever that angry in my life.

He threatened to sue them for every cent they had, and make them regret forever pushing me to... do all that.

My mother then made drastic changes in the company and made sure they wouldn't see me again.

She made sure to take some time for both of us, that way she would check up on me since I adamantly didn't want to a psychiatrist.

Something about telling how I cried and underwent such torment was something I didn't want to say or relive to anyone, no matter how professional they were.

For good measure, she transferred my sister back here so she can live with us again.

They knew that because of how much time they dedicated to working, it partially affected me.

And for a while, things finally starting looking up to me.

No one bothered me in school because I never said a word to anyone.

In retrospect, I think I should have.

But I was paranoid, and I didn't want to cause any hassle for my parents.

It didn't take long until I graduated from middle school and moved onto high school.

Ainu Academy...

That was where I met Monika, Natsuki and Sayori.

My closest and best friends.

It was mandatory that I had to join a club, so I joined the literature club.

The club was full, so Monika decided to create another one, separate from the crowded club.

It had a more specific focus on discussing our thoughts of any literature instead of merely reading books.

It was inevitable that I bonded with them, and I didn't regret it at all.

And for a time...

It made me forget about the daily struggles of not sharing, talking, or even looking too much.

...

But that all changed...

* * *

"That all changed when I met you, Val," Yuri said with a smile. "You were so kind and understanding of me. You always encouraged me to be myself. I didn't know how you knew about my hidden self until we realized we were..."

"Childhood friends." I finished. "I... I had a feeling that you weren't giving it your all. It felt like you were always restraining yourself, but I didn't know why. Whenever you hesitated to do something, I had the feeling that you wanted to take action and speak your mind. Being quiet... It wasn't like you at all."

My wife continued to keep her smile.

"And you were right all along. That all changed when-"

I cut her off, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

"Yeah, I know. The damn lowlifes wanted to pick on you again. I still haven't forgiven them for thinking of touching you like that, wherever they are."

It happened a couple of years ago, sure...

But it still irritates me and how smug and know it all they were.

To think they would mature and apologize for their actions.

Instead, they kept their shallow and incorrigible behaviors.

Yuri laughed a little, which caught me off-guard.

"Even when you beat them silly, you wanted them to continue fighting you. I had to step in because you were causing such a scene. Anymore of the fighting, and you might have seriously hurt them." She stated.

I lowered my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. You told me this already, I know. I never thought I would get so angry at them." I muttered, realizing the ramifications if Yuri never stepped in to stop me.

Yuri crawled towards me and laid her head against my shoulder.

I hugged her, knowing she was to confess her feelings at that very moment.

"When they insulted me and you, I felt those dark emotions again. I felt the despair and anguish fill into my very soul as they said all those vile things... It hurt to hold it in and so I wouldn't be crying in public... My self-confidence at that time was shattered, and I said I don't deserve you..."

She was about to tear up, so I patted her long hair to calm her.

"Even when I told you not to talk to me anymore or think of me, you still arrived at my house and spoke to me. After all, you said that I took your first time and took mine, so it is fair that you would come back to me. But it's not only because of that, but it's also because you believed in me. You believed in me when no one else did. And you never stopped me from believing. So thank you so much for being with me."

We hugged for a while before I pulled away.

"Yuri, I don't want you to feel like that again. I don't want you to think that you're alone anymore. This isn't your darkest hour anymore, Yuri. I'm with you, alright? So whenever you feel that memory opens up, as narcissistic as it sounds, think of me... I'll always be a part of you."

My wife's lips quivered uncontrollably before the tears started streaming down her cheeks.

But instead of tears of pain and misery, they were tears of joy.

We kissed again and again,

I wanted to help her feel better and to make her realize that I'm with her.

After a bit, we were now lying down on the sofa.

I kept petting her long purple mane as we silently relaxed.

...

Maybe it is the best time to talk about how I didn't remember her when we met again.

I thought the reason was that I found it traumatic.

But that wasn't traumatic enough for me to repress the memory.

However, I can't say the same for Yuri since I was her only friend.

"Yuri, I think I should tell you something that I haven't gotten the chance to tell you." I started to say.

She pulled away from my chest, looked to me expectantly.

"It's about... why I didn't remember you when we met again back in Dokisai."

Yuri was confused by my words.

"I... I am afraid I don't understand. Wasn't it because you were young?"

I shook my head at that.

"No, even if I was young, I would have caught onto the hints your parents was dropping. It's even a wonder that I was able to remember you in the first place." I stated.

Her eyes widened.

"W-What? What do you mean? Why wouldn't you have remembered me?!"

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily.

"Unlike you, I think our separation wasn't as traumatic to me. We had different outlooks on the situation, after all. I was always hopeful that we see each other again and... I was oblivious to your feelings to me at the time. But you had a feeling we wouldn't see each other. It was as if you saw your loved one leave forever. That's why we had different reactions from that memory." I explained.

She took a second to process what I said but was able to catch on quickly.

I shouldn't be surprised.

Yuri is the smartest of the four girls.

"If that is the case, then what was it that... caused you to forget about me?" She asked with great difficulty.

I looked away and chose my words carefully.

"What I am about to tell you will surprise you, but please, don't worry too much. I'm completely fine and healthy, OK?" I warned.

Yuri already didn't like where this was going but nodded reluctantly.

With that, I looked into her eyes.

"Alright. Once I left this country and returned to the United States, your crying face was seared into my memory. I mean, why it wouldn't be? I saw your happiness become swallowed by a pit of despair in an instant... It hurt me to see that. I didn't realize how much it bothered me. Especially since I didn't realize how it stripped my awareness of the current world. Everything came to a close one day."

I gulped, hoping my wife wouldn't take what happened next too hard.

"One day... When I was with my parents, I was crossing the street. But the thing is, I was crossing it while the light was red. I had no idea because I was still thinking about how I missed you. My parents tried to grab me before I anywhere, but it was way too late. I don't know if they were looking at me or not. I guess it doesn't matter now."

OK...

I just need to say it.

"A car... A car hit me at top speed, and I was sent flying. My body felt like it was on fire from the pain. I was bleeding profusely everywhere... And my head felt like a jackhammer was hitting me."

Yuri squeezed the life out of me and took a couple of deep breaths.

"You're here... You're here with me..." She mumbled under her breath.

I held her tightly in return.

"The doctors told me that I wasn't supposed to make it. I was on the verge of death. I was treading through muddled waters, having no idea where I was going. But then I heard this voice... This man's voice guided me to an exit, and I woke up. I don't know who it was that guided me, but it sounded a lot like how I sound right now, but a little... deeper? Twangy, even? When I came to, I woke up to see a bunch of machines keeping me alive. Somehow, I survived, but what was more miraculous was how I was able to recover two weeks before I was supposed to be released. But you know what the side of effect was?"

I looked down at Yuri and saw her on the verge of tears.

"You forgot about me..." She managed to say through choked breaths.

I pet her long purple hair.

It always managed to calm her down.

"Yes. I had a severe case of amnesia. I lost almost a couple of months' worth of memories. It was only because I decided to spend more and more time with you is why I started to remember again. If I didn't do all that, then those memories would have been good as gone. And my life would've continued. But... I'm so glad. I'm so glad that I remembered you again. If I didn't remember you, then I wouldn't be where I am right now. And... I'm happy right now. Words can't even express how happy I am to be with you every day. I would have definitely missed out on everything that has happened here, and I can say without a doubt that my life has taken a turn for the better once we reunited."

I said it.

I finally said it.

I planned on telling her this for a while now.

Ever since, my parents revealed why my memory was so spotty whenever I visited Yuri.

My wife crawled up to me, revealing that she was crying again.

Her choked sobs filled the room, which made my heart twinge with pain.

"Uuuuh...! V-Val...!"

She then cried into my neck.

I rested my cheek against her head. She cried her heart out.

Yuri did say she was a crybaby.

But I'm OK with that.

To me, that simply means that she is very expressive with her emotions.

After a few moments of crying, she was sniffling.

Yuri looked up to me while rubbing her eyes.

"Y-You won't forget about me again, will you?"

I shook my head.

"No, I won't. I definitely won't forget about you, Yuri. You can believe me. Now that's enough crying for one day, let's get going." I stated, now starting to get up.

But she kept me pinned against the sofa.

I don't think I'm going anywhere for some time.

Some may think she is fussy, but I don't believe that all.

To me, it goes to how she interesting she can get.

"Val?" Yuri muttered.

I looked towards her.

"You want me all for yourself, is that correct?"

Those are the same words I used back in the garden.

"Of course, I do. I don't want to share you with anyone." I answered confidently.

My wife flared up a little but kept her adorable small smile on.

"Then... Will you take me?"

I smiled back, trying to hide my happiness over her words.

"No."

Yuri was taken completely off-guard by my answer.

"W-W-What...?! W-What do you mean, **no**?!" She yelled, baffled by my refusal.

The woman's razor-sharp eyes and gritted teeth just added to my amusement.

I covered my mouth to hide my laughter.

"Sheesh, I'm sorry, Yuri. It's mainly because I am pretty... well famished right now and actually incredibly tired right now. I may have overworked myself a little." I replied, her figure now shrinking.

Instead of being the next destroyer of worlds, my wife tapped her fingers together.

"Oh... I-I see... Yes, that would make sense." She mumbled before puffing her cheeks out. "Hey! It's not my fault that you were so... confident! I... I got turned on by caring you were!"

I bit the side of my cheeks, so I contain my laughs.

She's too cute right now!

It's so hard to keep all in!

In all honesty, I wanted to take her right then and there too, especially since the moment was right.

I was definitely in the mood for it as well.

But my other needs have to come first. Otherwise, I will regret it.

I had a small flashback where I was in the same exact condition right now and still made love with Yuri.

Suffice to say, the after-effects made me promise not to do that again.

"Mhm, yep... There it is. There's the perverted girl that I know and love. Man, that body of yours really gets you on, doesn't it?" I teased.

Yuri pouted and playfully slammed her fists onto my chest.

"So what if it does?! So what if I am a closet-pervert with a body that adds to my lust?! I want you! I want you! I want youuuu!" She endearingly cried.

Her childishly violent side is one of the many reasons why I am madly in love with her.

At first glance, Yuri and Haru are two sides of the different coin.

One was older by a few years and reserved.

And another was younger and playful.

But once I got to know them, they tend to switch their personalities up a little, which made things so enjoyable.

Ah, yeah.

I remember Mike telling me how dangerous Haru got one time when they were debating about something.

If I recall correctly, it was about college and how each of them wanted to go to different colleges.

Haru stopped all traces of her playfulness in its tracks and showed him the same hot-blooded temper Yuri has and showed him a piece of her mind.

Because of that, they are now attending the same college together.

And right now, Yuri is showing a little bit of Haru with how childish she was getting.

Yuri's cute pleading wails were pushing me on the brink of granting her wishes.

Come on, me...

Keep it together!

"Honey, listen. We have an entire day to spend together tomorrow since it's gonna be our anniversary. So I tell you what. If you hold in your lustful needs today, I will grant every wish tomorrow without a doubt. OK?"

She frowned while puffing her cheeks.

Argh!

My wife is too damn cute right now!

She whined and laid her head against my chest.

Before I could even lay my hand to pet her hair, she piped up.

"OK... But you promise that you will grant my wishes, is that right?!" She excitedly said.

I hesitated to answer because of how much my heart has swollen from the overload.

"Y-Yeah. I promise, don't you worry."

She gave me a charming grin and rubbed her head against me.

"Hm hm hm! Love, Love, Loveeee~!" My wife chanted.

I hope I don't regret this.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the college dorms!**

I'm so going to get Haru back for pranking me today.

She replaced a small portion of the toothpaste with some pain relief cream.

I can still feel the burning sensation in my gums...

And I know exactly how to get her back.

My girlfriend loves to drink hot chocolate.

So I'm gonna give that with a little twist to it.

I walked to the dorm's living room and saw that she was relaxing on the sofa while scrolling through her phone.

Hmm, now that I realize it, Haru looks a lot more like Yuri now.

Her chest has gotten more abundant, and her body has become a lot curvier.

It's difficult to tell her and Yuri apart, with their smiles being the only way I can tell to differentiate them.

Good thing they didn't think about the twin switch yet.

I'm not sure how my brother will be able to tell who's who.

Because I'm sure as hell can't.

"Hey, Haru," I called, causing her to look up to me. "You want some hot chocolate?"

She was taken aback by my sudden generosity.

"Wait, what?! Since when were you the one to give me hot chocolate?! I'm usually the one to push you over it, you prude!"

I rolled my eyes, both from her surprise and nickname for me.

"I have no idea why you're getting so heated up about this. I'm asking if you want hot chocolate or not." I repeated.

All of a sudden, my girlfriend started looking bashful for some reason.

Err...

Why is she looking at that?

It's only hot chocolate...

Or so it would seem.

"I... Jeez, alright! If you want to give me hot chocolate so badly, then give it to me!" She spat, now starting to turn her body towards me.

A small smile crept to my lips as I retreated to make the hot chocolate.

She was apparently confused about this.

"Wait, where are you going?! I thought we were having some hot chocolate!" She yelled.

I don't understand the context she's giving right now.

This is only hot chocolate, nothing more or less.

Seriously, what's with her?

"We are! Or at least, I'm making something for you! Relax!" I yelled back.

I mixed the hot chocolate with the secret base I had planned on using and stirred the powder mix.

Once I was done, I grabbed the mug that I prepared and walked over to my girlfriend.

However, I was not ready for what laid ahead of me.

I walked into Haru in the middle of changing, as she was about to unhook her bra.

Strangely enough, she was unaffected by my intruding presence and grinned once she saw me.

"Ah! Took you long enough! Why don't you take off my underwear? I heard it turns men on a lot! Something like a prude like you really needs, hehe!" She teased.

I was more baffled as to why she was stripping.

My face burned up once I finally realized what she was doing.

"W-WHAT?! What are you doing, you buffoon?!" I yelled, giving her a swift chop to her crown. "Why in the world are you stripping?!"

She rubbed her head from the place I hit her.

"Owwwie! What the heck, Mike?! I thought... I thought we were going to have some hot chocolate!" She hollered.

Hot chocolate?

Wait a moment, did this idiot girl think hot chocolate was a euphemism for sex?!

I facepalmed so hard it almost caused me to drop the hot chocolate I prepared for her.

"No, you moron! That's not hot chocolate! That's **hot coffee**! Put your clothes on, damn it!"

She puffed her cheeks out and gave me a glare.

"Mmmph! No! I don't wanna! I want to have sex! Right now!"

The fire in her eyes was always tricky to ease, so the only way I know of calming her was granting her wishes.

I sighed heavily.

"Fine, fine. We'll do that later. Now, will you take a sip of the hot chocolate I made for you?"

She responded by snatching the mug from my hands and taking a huge sip from it.

I smiled devilishly once I knew what she in for.

Hahaha...!

Gotcha!

As she gulped it the drink, her eyes widened.

"Wait... This... This doesn't feel right. Something definitely feels off." Haru commented as she smacked her lips. "W-What did you do to this drink?!"

I continued to look at with morbid amusement.

"Mike?! Tell me!"

I grinned and crossed my arms.

"Oh? You haven't realized it now, have you? Do you want to know what my secret ingredient was?" I taunted.

As each second passed, it became clearer that she didn't like the way this was going.

"Y-Yes! What did you do?!"

I leaned against the wall.

"The hot chocolate's secret ingredient was... **water**."

In an instant, Haru's eyes widened.

"E-Eh? Wait... Why would you use water?! WHY?!" She screeched.

At this point, I couldn't hold it in my evil laughter.

"Hahaha... Do you really think you get away from pranking me? You thought putting pain relief cream in my toothpaste was something I going to let slide?! Hahahaha...!"

My girlfriend fell to her knees and clutched her throat.

"No... Noooo... Noooo! You're a monster! You're a monster, Mike! Ah...!"

She collapsed onto the ground, groaning and dramatically clutching her stomach as I continued to laugh maniacally.

"I-I-I can feel it! I can feel it in my stomach! I-I think I'm gonna die! Gwaaaah!"

Haru convulsed onto the ground and slackened as I continued to laugh maniacally.

After I finally calmed down, I walked over to her and crouched.

She weakly opened her eyes.

"Well played..." Haru muttered weakly, before opening them altogether. "Now that's over with, let's fuck!"

I had no time to react before she lunged towards me.

* * *

The next day came relatively quickly.

We woke up at the same time, or I least thought that was the case.

My wife woke up earlier than me, took a shower, and was jittery throughout the morning.

Seeing her so excited was always a treat, so I welcomed it.

I took a quick shower before heading towards the kitchen, seeing Yuri quickly get the breakfast out.

OK...!

Looks like she is very amped to do this.

I slowly approached her, to which she quickly closed the distance.

She took a couple of whiffs of me before nodding.

"Mmm... You smell great."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I took a quick shower, so it's probably the pheromones or whatever spreading."

She took another sniff at me and sighed.

"It's refreshing... Very stimulating too...! I must hug you!"

Without much of a warning, my wife squeezed me tight.

"Ah! Y-Yuri! Jeez, I just got out of the shower and everything!"

She whined and buried her nose into my chest.

"I don't careeee~! I want your love, beloved... It's because I looooove you!"

Man...

I absolutely love it when Yuri is this endearing...

After that, we ate and checked out the plans, much to my wife's chagrin.

We were about to leave, but I wanted to take some time to plan our date out.

I had some plans when we were supposed to be on a date all those weeks ago, but given how rough I was the day before and how many rounds Yuri wanted, that plan was thrown out the window.

Maybe I can fit some of those plans here.

But the usual patient Yuri was showing she was getting restless.

I don't blame her since I especially told her we weren't going to do anything intimate yesterday.

But I didn't expect it to be this bad...

"Hurry up! I want to go on our date, RIGHT NOW!" She barked, causing me to flinch. "Come onnnnn!"

I gave her a nervous smile.

"We will go, just give me a sec, alright? Proper planning is smart if we are going to maximize how much fun we are going to have."

She irritatedly rolled her eyes.

"I already packed in some extra clothes, my swimsuit, a blanket, and **other items,** for the trip."

Wait, what?

I eyed her on the last part of the sentence.

"What do you mean... 'other items'? What else did you bring besides the beach supplies?"

Instead of answering me, she gave me her usual small smile.

"Why don't you see for yourself... when we embark for our date?" She playfully teased.

I deadpanned from her tease and sighed.

"Alright, alright. I'm done planning for the most part. Let's go." I said, now standing to leave.

Yuri took my hand as we started to head towards the door.

"So, since you planned. What do you plan on that we do first?" She asked as we left the condo.

I locked the door and started heading outside.

"What I planned on doing first was maybe walk around the main street, see if they got anything open at this time of the day. We got some time to burn until our bus arrives for the beach... Or-"

* * *

I smiled and put my finger on his lips.

"It doesn't matter, Beloved. As long as I'm spending time and having fun with you, I have nothing to complain about. Simply sitting around doing nothing is not a very productive way of spending time on our anniversary date, is it?" I stated, now pulling my finger away.

Val was a little disorientated by my bold move but shook it off.

Doing little actions like that here, and there is what keeps my husband on his toes.

He nodded in agreement.

"You're right... Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I really want to spend as much time with you as possible. Let's get moving."

We picked up the pace.

I held my husband's hand tightly and squeezed.

He squeezed back as we headed towards our destination.

As we walked there, I thought about what we were going to do once we got to the main street.

Hmm...

The main street has a library and tea shop, the same places we went to on our first date.

Perhaps we can go there on this date as well!

Once we were on the main street, I rubbed my husband's hand with my thumb, to which he turned his head.

"Hmm?"

I pointed towards the library.

"Can we go there first, Beloved? It's been a long time since I went back to the library!" I exclaimed excitedly.

He smiled at me.

"Sure, I don't see why not? Maybe instead of zoning out on how huge your chest is, I might be able to pay attention this time." He teased.

I covered my generous chest from him and looked away bashful.

"Y-You were thinking about my chest that entire time I was talking about books? Meanie..."

He laughed wholeheartedly.

"No, no, no. I actually wasn't, trust me. Remember, this was when I didn't get to see your complete personality of yours back then. When we first came here, it was like a switch that activated, and you became an older version of Haru. Or... at least an older version of your child-self. If that makes any sense." My husband explained. "I was thinking about how passionate you got when we were there. Seeing you jump around and looking for books was endearing to me."

My face flared up, but instead of being saddled by his words, I looked at him with pride.

"It's because of you that I am now like this forever. Let's get going already, shall we? The books are calling me!"

With that, I pulled him towards my favorite places in the city.

As we entered, I felt the memories of us coming to this place together for the first time.

We had so much fun here...

I remember it all so well.

"Hmm, this place looks a lot bigger than I remember it. Strange... Did they do any renovations the last time we visited?" Beloved asked.

I looked around as well, realizing there was a new section of the library now open.

The new section was an extension of the original's lines of mystery, sci-fi, and horror, but geared towards a more mature audience.

"It seems that only those who are over 18 are eligible to enter this new area. I haven't seen such a measure being placed before. How peculiar."

Since we were both over 18, this was nothing to worry about.

We entered the new part of the library and saw only a few shelves of books here and there.

I thought this area of the library would have some more genres than just-

My eye immediately caught onto the horror section of the library.

Oh, my!

And so I pulled my husband towards the section.

He let out a surprised yelp as I ran towards one of my favorite genres in literature.

Once we were there, I let go of his hand and felt my field of view widen.

"Oooh! So this where they put more of my favorite author's works!" I cheered, now picking up the book and browsing through the pages.

My husband did the same with an older novel.

"OK, let's see what we got here... 'And so his flesh cried out to the burning sun, melting it away until it was a sentient mess of skin.' Wait, hold on a minute... I think I read this before. This is sort of ripping on the S-"

I interrupted him before showing the cover of my book.

"Look, Val! This is the newest novel from the same author! Take a look!"

I handed him the book, and he opened it to a random page of the book.

"Hmm, let's see here... 'I woke up to see my classmates wandering the dirty halls of the apparently new academy sanctioned by the government. We all were taunted by this evil mechanized tiger, telling us we had no choice but to kill each other to survive.' Hoh, this sounds eerily creepy but atmospheric. This is precisely why you like these books, right?"

I nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly! The way this specific author portrays horror is unrivaled! Although it isn't my aim to write horror... I do take inspiration on how he builds the world, expands upon the characters, and gives you the feeling of pure, unadulterated desperation. If he manages to make you feel helpless, then isn't that considered good writing?! Every word he writes somehow pops out of the novel and manifests into our reality! Isn't that amazing?!"

He put his hand on his hip and smirked at me.

"Yep, it is. Sheesh, you really like his work, huh? To be able to write like that and for you to admire him, I'm guessing he is a world-renowned author?"

I shook my head at this and frowned a little.

"Unfortunately, that isn't the case. This author is unknown to the other parts of the world and is popular only here. But I am sure that those who love horror will love his books. Now that is a promise." I declared.

My husband took another glance at the book before giving it back to me.

"This guy definitely deserves to be famous, given how amazing his writing is. If he's able to give me a random reader, a little chill down my spine, he is definitely good. If only someone can do a fan-translation of his work... That would be great." He remarked.

I looked at him expectantly.

"No, I won't be translating... Wait, actually. That might be a good idea..."

He picked out another older novel and browsed through its contents.

"Maybe, I can show Akira this book and maybe get him to hook up a translation company. If an experienced writer such as you admires this author's writing, then it doing that would be a great idea!"

I immediately picked up on what he was saying.

"That's correct! My father's company can provide the means to publish my favorite author's work in another language! That way, he can display his eminence to the greater world! And because of that, more and more people can read his works!" I buzzed, jumping in place. "What an ingenious idea!"

My husband simply looked at me with his warm eyes.

And so, I tackled him into his arms and cooed.

He put his hand on my head and gave me headpats I loved so much.

"Honey, I think I should be the first tell you that this is something I thought of at the top of my head. This line of thought is expected of me by your dad."

I looked up to him with a smile.

"So? You were able to apply that train of thought right here! It's a great idea!" I complimented.

He looked away with a diffident simper.

"Thanks... Yuri. Now can you let go, please? I'm starting to feel some glares burning a hole at the back, my skull..."

I reluctantly obliged him.

We continued to comb through the many books in the library before deciding to leave.

Val took out his phone and checked the time, never letting go of my hand.

"Hmm, we almost got an hour left before the bus arrives. What do you think we should do in the meantime, Honey?"

I thought back on what we did right after we went to the library.

That's right, we went to the cafe.

I made sure to give Jasmine tea so that he would be aroused...

To think he was able to resist it for so long...

When we went to the theater, he still was able to display impressive restraint.

But in the end, the aphrodisiac effects finally kicked in, and we made love in the back of the theater.

Sure, it was risky, but when the speakers were at full volume and so very far from everyone, there was nothing to worry about.

I...

I can only hope that we can do it again today.

No, I will make sure of it.

"Let us go to the cafe. I'm feeling a little parched from perusing all those books. Don't you feel the same?"

He shrugged at this.

"Ehh... Sort of. But I don't mind some tea before we hit the road."

I covered my mouth to hide the ever-growing grin stretching my lips.

Good...

Good.

It's been a while since he had Jasmine tea as well, so he won't be able to remember the taste as well I do.

Not to mention, I'm very well acquainted with the waiters of the cafe too, so maybe they might be able to grant some requests.

Even if that request is...

Somewhat questionable, I suppose.

It didn't take long until we finally made it to the cafe and sat down.

"Oh, wow... This brings back memories. Looks like we are a short trip down memory lane, huh?" He remarked.

I never would have thought it would be this difficult to stay quiet about this.

The suspense is killing me!

"Hm, I suppose we are. But I'm looking forward to the new memories we are about to make soon. **Very soon**."

Val didn't pick up on my subtle tone and looked at the menu.

"The menu changed a little. I didn't expect them to serve burgers here... Strange. Yuri, do you want any appetizers before we go?"

I shook my head.

"No, thank you. I would rather have my tea and depart for the bus." I answered swiftly.

He pursed his lips.

"Alright, then. I'll do the same too."

During our time talking, I wrote on a piece of paper, I planned on giving to the waiters when they arrived.

Fortunately, my husband was preoccupied with gazing at the new menu while I was doing this.

When the waiters finally arrived, I gave them the paper, to which they covertly took.

"We would like two teas, please!" I requested, to which they nodded and left.

I looked back at my husband, and he was eying me in amusement.

"So by just saying two teas, they'll serve it to you? Didn't they ask what tea we would want or something?" He asked.

I rested my cheek on my palm.

"Don't worry, so much, Beloved. I come here often whenever I had a lunch break back at work." I reassured. "They know what tea I'm going to have, and I am sure you would like it."

So far, it looks like I'm doing well.

I only need to keep this up for a little longer...

"Huh... You would go through the main street so that you would have tea here? That's something I didn't know." Val noted, putting down the menu.

Since there was some time left before our tea came, we started another conversation.

"Beloved, do you remember what I wore on our first date together?

I remember what happened as clear as day.

Val stroked his chin and immediately knew the answer.

"Oh... Yeah, I do. You were wearing a black dress, something similar to what you're wearing right now."

That is true.

What I am wearing right is a black lolita dress, since Beloved like the dress I wore on our date.

"Good, good. Now, what happened once we finished our tea?" I asked.

He immediately was able to answer me.

"We went to the park and took a walk, ate some ice cream..." Val's eyes widened once he got to a particular embarrassing part. "Uh, do I have to say what happened there?"

I only nodded to which he rubbed his forehead.

"Ugh... When we were sharing ice cream, we... made out in front of everyone there. I still get jittery when I think about it. Seriously, to think we laughed off something so embarrassing..."

They served us our tea and marked one of the two teacups with a black marker.

And so, I took the one without the black mark on it.

"I found it funny because we were doing that in broad daylight... I never thought you wanted me so badly..." I teased.

He rolled his eyes and picked up the teacup.

"Tch... I don't remember why I was so out of control that day. It all so very strange, honestly."

Val frowned and take a sip of the tea.

His eyes flickered as he savored the taste.

"I didn't have this tea in a long time... Why does it feel... Dense? Like it's heavier? What tea even is this?"

He's getting suspicious.

I mustn't blow my cover.

"It's green tea, Beloved." I simply answered, while sipping on my own tea.

He gave an amused grunt and shrugged.

"Hmm... I don't remember oolong tea feeling this... dense. Well, whatever. It still tastes sweet and is very fragrant." Val noted, now drinking the rest of the tea.

Looks like he isn't suspicious anymore...

I smirked at what he was drinking.

This is the same tea we drank all those years ago.

Jasmine Tea.

I told them to put a little more Jasmine leaves in his tea.

To mask the Jasmine taste, I told the waiters to conceal the base with green tea. That way, he wouldn't know what he was drinking.

As for me, I am having pure, adulterated Jasmine tea as well.

Ever since he refused me, I have felt somewhat frustrated.

By fleshing out my own frustrations against him... I hope he will understand to sate my needs whenever possible.

I long for his touch, and to wait for a day was simply torturous.

He had his reason to do it today, but we haven't made love in a week because of how busy we have gotten.

"Ah..." My husband let out. "I also remembered what happened right after we went to the park. Hehe, I don't mind seeing that side of you again, you know?"

It took half a second for me to realize what exactly he was talking about.

I puffed my cheeks out.

"That woman... the very memory of her aggravates me. The audacity! To think she would try to steal me away from you! To think she would have a chance, too. She was most likely attracted because of your foreign appearance. But she doesn't understand she can't jump in and take you away from me... You're **mine**!"

He put his hands up and tried to calm me down.

"OK, OK! I get it, Yuri. I doubt she is even working in that movie theater anyway... In any case, I liked how assertive you got against her. That was attractive." He elaborated.

I downed the rest of my tea, not caring to take my time.

"Of course! I have to be assertive! You're my husband, after all! I refuse to let any other woman in our relationship, no matter what..."

He looked worried and downed the rest of his tea.

"You're right. We're married, so that means our relationship is closed for good." My husband said, now putting the cash on the table before taking my hand.

* * *

We got up and left the area.

I really didn't expect Yuri to get so... hot-blooded over this, especially since it was mostly a joke...

If I let her at it, she would probably have gone on a tirade about I belong to her as she belongs to me.

Something must be messing with her.

This has happened before, and if I recall correctly, the way I managed to get her back to her usual self was by...

...

...

...

Oh, I think I get the gist now.

Gosh, I'm slow when it comes to these things sometimes.

Come on, I have to keep up!

We walked towards the bus station, as we had about thirty minutes remaining before our bus arrived.

I looked back to see Yuri still scowling somewhat.

Hmm, that means she is still a little heated about this.

So the best thing to do here is maybe cool her down.

What's one way I can cool her off?

...

...

...

My view filled with greenery as we walked towards the area.

That's right...

The park!

I can cool Yuri off here.

But why did I go here?

I thought I was going to the bus station to wait out until the bus finally arrived.

Well, that obviously isn't the case.

Maybe it was a subconscious thing...

In any case, this is perfect.

"Honey, let's take a stroll in the park. We still have a half-hour left until we gotta go. Not to mention, the park's pretty close to the station too." I asked, hoping she would say yes.

She only gave me a curt nod, which meant she was still thinking about what happened in the movie theater all those years ago.

I let out a quiet relieved sigh as we walked towards the park entrance.

Yuri's hand squeezed mine, so I pressed back.

A short stroll will be able to calm things down just a little.

Right now, all I need is a small distraction.

Hand in hand, we sauntered the park grounds.

The atmosphere we were in was perfect.

All there was a pure breeze, some birds chirping, and rushing water.

Hmm...

Now that I think about it.

This place kind of feels like the garden in Yuri's backyard.

Sure, this is much, much larger, but I feel so at peace right now.

I looked towards Yuri and saw the same effect on her as well.

Bit by bit, her tensed up expression was slowly starting to mellow back to normal.

If I had to guess, this is what Ivanka wanted to capture in her garden as well.

Because I would do anything to get this to work out...

"Beloved?" My wife called, now turning to me.

I turned to her and waited expectantly for her.

"If... We do get far with our jobs and will be able to support our future family... I want to have a garden that exudes the... same feeling as this park." She requested.

I stopped myself and took my wife's hands into mine, looking straight into her warm purple eyes.

"You know... I was thinking the same thing as well. If we can afford a larger home, I want to have a garden that can wash our stresses. A place where we can spend some family time with our future children." I stated. "So, let's work hard so we can achieve that."

Hmm, this sort of feels like Of Mice and Men...

Minus the ending, obviously.

Yuri hugged me tightly as a result of my words.

I held her soft body in return.

"You can count on me, Yuri. I'll try my hardest, so we can have a new home... A home that we can call home." I declared.

Her enticing scent invaded my nostrils as I rested my chin on her crown.

"As will I, Beloved. I will give it my all as well! I want our children to have a peaceful garden!"

I chuckled at her.

"Heh. You really want kids, huh? I wonder what our kids are going to be."

She pulled away from me and frowned.

"You still haven't told me how many children you want. I still want a precise number, Val."

I smirked at this and patted her purple hair.

"You'll get the memo later. I'm pretty sure we want the same number of kids as you want, that's for sure." I enigmatically remarked, now taking her hand.

She sighed, and we continued to walk.

"If that's how is... Then so be it. You best not be surprised by the number of babies I want!" My wife glared.

It was more and more difficult to not reveal how I actually know how many children she wants.

When we were drunk last week, Yuri was rambling a lot when we were coming home.

It was more or less what she loved about our current situation and some glimpses of what she envisioned for the future.

Particular on how many children she wants at first.

"Loveeee~? Are you thereeee?"

"I'm right here and still changing. What's up?"

"Do you know how many children I wanttttt~?!"

"Uh... No, I don't. You always said that it depended on how I wanted."

"Is that sooo~? Well, if we do have children... Then I want to have female twins~!"

Twins.

It was the same exact thing I wanted too.

I wanted to have two twin girls to raise and love.

To think Yuri wanted that too really makes my heart soar.

Seriously... it makes me happy.

"I won't, I won't. Don't worry, Yuri." I reassured.

We continued to walk towards the bus station through the park, still holding hands.

I took one last glimpse before we exited the park.

Hmm...

She looks a lot more relaxed than how she was before.

But this won't last for long.

I hope our time at the beach won't be too... muddled.

As we exited the park, I pulled out my phone and checked how much time we had left.

Hmm, we have about 10 minutes.

That's the ideal time to wait for the bus.

"We're here... And we still have some time to spare," I muttered, now putting away my phone. "Let's have a seat somewhere."

Yuri was starting to get excited.

"I can't wait! We haven't gone to the beach for a long time!" She buzzed.

She's really so cute when she gets stoked like this.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Work has been a pain before, but now we got the hang of it, there's nothing to worry about." I added.

My wife beamed at me.

"Indeed! It's because of that we are now able to go on these dates! Ooooh! I can't wait, I can't wait!"

I did everything I can to not hug my adorable wife right then and there.

"Just a little bit longer, Honey. Is there a reason why you're so excited?" I asked.

I felt some of her energy course to me as she hugged my arm.

"Well... I recently bought a new bikini! I wanted to get your opinion on it!" She declared not so quietly.

I started to sweat as I felt some of the stares beginning to focus on me.

Crap.

This isn't good.

To think her cute attitude would make her oblivious to her surroundings.

"Uh... Is that so? Well, I can't wait to see it." I muttered, hoping she would get the message.

She continued to hug my arm, which implied she was somewhat understood.

"You will love it! But I still want to hear your words when you see it! However, this isn't what I am more focused on. Instead, I am more focused on how you are going to grant my every wish! You didn't want to give me what I wanted yesterday, so this will be an amazing time!"

My face was now a scarlet red as I tried to calm the jittery girl down.

Argh, I should have expected this!

When she is excited about something, she completely disregards her manners!

Yuri stopped buzzing and saw my troubled expression.

Oh, thank goodness she stopped.

I hope she-

For some reason, she grinned mischievously, giving the same vibe as her younger sister.

That definitely doesn't look good.

"I'll make sure that I'm satisfied once I'm done with you. I'm quivering with the number of possibilities that lie ahead of us..." She started to say in a rather drawled tone.

Yep, I know exactly what she is trying to do.

Maybe trying isn't the right word, because it's working.

Yuri was using the voice whenever we are intimate, which triggered my heart to pump uncontrollably.

"I sure hope you will be extra roug-!"

I cut her off as I saw the bus finally arrives.

"Well! Why don't you look at that! The bus is here! Let's go to the beach!" I declared, hoping to clear the air she put up.

I gripped on her hand, pulled her into the bus, and evaded the many disapproving stares in the station.

Yuri and I sat together towards the window.

Once we were settled, I glared at my wife.

She noticed my flustered state and covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Pffh...! Hehehe! It seems like you enjoyed what happened earlier..." She teased.

I tightened my glare at her.

"As if! I felt people staring at me...! I never been so embarrassed before..." I muttered.

Sure, I am a little off-balance with her small act back there.

But, in actuality, I'm thrilled that my wife managed to tease me back.

I usually am the one to tease her, but on this occasion, it looks like the tables have turned.

That is a nice change of pace, actually.

Yuri daringly put her hand on my thigh and leaned in with a lecherous mist in her eyes.

"That may be the case... But I have a feeling that you truly do want to do that soon." My wife whispered, sending jolts down my spine.

She spoke to the carnal desires in me, which, for some reason, was much more intensified.

Why...

Why do I feel so aroused?

Come on, get it a together!

We're on a bus for pity's sake!

I need to think of something to distract me from those thoughts!

Arrrrgh!

"Beloved...? Is there something that is bothering you?" She questioned with a barely restrained smirk.

Wait...

Why is she smirking?

That doesn't...

...

Yuri, you purpled eyed vixen.

I have a feeling that you did something to me!

What did she do it for me?

Put some aphrodisiacs in my water or something?

No, no...

This is Yuri we are talking about, so that must mean she had a brilliant way of hiding things.

But what did she use?

I looked at the surprisingly cunning girl.

"No, nothing. I'm fine." I claimed, still feeling a little aroused.

I can fight this off...

I'm a man!

I can do it!

...

I hope.

Either way, I'm gonna get my revenge.

* * *

We were now on the beach.

I teased my husband here and there, a little happy that I managed to get the odds in my favor.

After all, he is the one who teases me.

It's empowering when I have the cards in my hand.

There were many people at the beach, many of whom were near the food stands and in the ocean.

"Hmm, I didn't expect there to be a lot of people... Oh, well. Our plans aren't going to be affected." My husband examined now, turning to me. "Let's get changed."

Huh...?

"Val, aren't we going to change together? I want you to see my new swimsuit!" I mentioned.

He took a couple of blinks to process what I said.

After that, he shook his head.

"Yuri, you might want to rethink your sentence, a little."

I raised an eyebrow and thought about what I said.

Hmm...

I don't think there was anything wrong with what I said.

"Um... what was it that I said was peculiar?" I asked, genuinely confused.

My husband stared at me, blankly.

"Yuri, I'm a guy. I think you can work from there."

...

What's wrong with-

...

...

...

Oh.

I see.

My face burned up from my mishap.

"T-T-That's right... We are not at home. I seemed to have forgotten that."

My lust and yearning for my husband are starting to cloud my thoughts.

Even more so than I thought...

He smiled and patted my hair.

"It's fine, Honey. Now go get changed, I'll be waiting for you."

I responded with a simple nod and went to the changing rooms.

Once I was there, I opened my backpack and took out my swimsuit, while being careful not to reveal any of the "toy" I had with me.

These come into play later...

I stripped and put on the bikini I wanted to show my husband.

It didn't take long to change, and I was out within minutes.

* * *

In my hands was the deflated ball we were planning to play with.

I can tell Yuri and me are going to have fun.

Even if I have to go a little easy on her.

"T-Thank you for waiting."

I turned to see my wife's slender legs, gleaming and pale, reflecting my eyelids.

As I looked up, I muttered my wife's name.

"Yuri..."

She only fidgeted in place, apparently a little embarrassed.

My wife's remarkably pale skin shines through that simplistic black bikini.

Not to mention her slender waist, which had little to no extra fat.

And finally, her rather generous chest, exuding the beauty of both the bikini and her body.

"Wow..." I only uttered, eyeing my wife's gorgeous body.

She rubbed her arm, sheepishly.

"Is this... To your liking, Beloved?"

I grinned at her moe behavior.

"Damn straight it is! I knew you were always beautiful and all, but this swimsuit just makes you even more radiant! You're incredibly pretty, Yuri!" I exclaimed, restraining my self from hugging her.

Yuri was a little shaken from my words and took a deep breath while shuffling her legs a little.

"Thank you, Beloved. You... made this a lot harder than it has to..." She enigmatically said. "As for you, I can tell you still have your physique from high school... Did I tell you how much I am in love with it?"

My heart jumped from her slightly arousing words.

"Uh... Um... Y-Yeah, I think you did." I answered, trying my best to answer her.

Yuri licked her lips slowly at this.

"Good... That's good."

Uh?

What does that mean?

"In any case, you have the suntan lotion on, is that right?" My wife asked, changing topics.

I only nodded and pulled it out from my bag.

"You put some on already, right?"

She smiled at my question.

"Of course. But I need assistance putting some on my back and other regions. The sun's rays seem to be particularly intense today."

Hmm, that is true.

"You're right. I don't want to see your fair skin getting sunburned or anything."

She rubbed her arms when I said that.

"Uuugh... This is rather difficult. Is this your revenge for how I teased you in the bus station?"

I was a little perplexed by this.

"Uh... No? I genuinely think that." I answered.

She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I prefer it if you would... give me your compliments in moderation."

I smirked at her.

"How can I hold back? I'm doing that right now. It's not my fault you're angelic." I teased.

She gripped the side of her arms as if trying to hold something in.

"You're... A real meanie, you know that? I'm struggling right now..."

Yuri then dropped onto the blanket I set up, face first.

"Put on the suntan, meanie." She groaned under the blanket.

I laughed a little from her nickname for me.

"Heh... That I will!"

As she laid down, I was fascinated by her beauty once more.

Yuri's extended, lean nape...

Her delicate shoulders and that smooth outline.

Even when lying down, I can tell that she has some of that aristocrat dignity in her.

"Val... Hurrrrry up!" She whined.

I love it when she does that.

With some suntan in my hands, I warmed it up and pressed it against her back.

"Kyaah!"

I started at the center of her back and used my fingertips to spread the suntan along her back.

"Hyahn...! Uuuh!" My wife twitched.

I can't get anything done if she keeps doing this.

"Honey, do me a favor stay still, will you?"

She gave me a low whine.

"I-I'm trying...! But your fingers seem to be... Aah! Kyaah!"

This isn't going anywhere.

I pulled away and deadpanned.

She looked to me with a glare.

"A-Are you attempting to seduce me?!" My wife accused.

I was baffled by this.

"Huh?! No, I'm not! What makes you think that?"

She pointed at my fingers.

"It feels as if you're trying to arouse me with your erotic fingers! Do it more normally!" Yuri hissed with a pout.

With a huff, she laid on the blanket and awaited my touch.

Ugh, what the hell...

How is my touch so erotic?

Anyway, a new plan.

Quick swipes with my palms should do the trick.

I hope...

With my new method, I was sure it would work.

But I was wrong.

"Hyahh...!" She moaned.

I stared blankly at this.

"Hold it in for me, Yuri. Come on."

Another approach is then.

Let's see, let's not put any emotion into this.

I went for the new strategy, and it was a small success.

"Kh... Uh..."

Hmm, it looks like it's working so far.

But, it looks like she's shivering a little.

Still, a lot bearable when she is moving around.

I was able to move to the sides of her back because of this.

My hands ran up and down her sides, but she started to tremble uncontrollably.

"Pff... Khf...!"

Huh?

I continued to do this a little longer before Yuri burst.

"Hahahahaha! Ahahaha! Stop! Stop! I can't best you!" She laughed uncontrollably.

...

I was tickling her?!

"My bad, my bad. I didn't mean to tickle you there."

She laughed for a little more before letting a sigh.

Once she did, however, my wife glared at me again.

"Your perverted nature seems to be leaking through. Stop it!"

I recoiled from Yuri's strange and childish accusations.

As expected from the older twin sister...

"What are you even on about?! I'm just trying to put on some suntan!" I explained.

She crossed her arms and looked away with a cute pout.

"That doesn't fit my perspective on this..."

Oh, dear...

Hmm...

For some reason, I am not annoyed by this at all.

Instead, I find it all too charming.

Maybe it's because of how Yuri has grown.

I can't help myself from comparing the old Yuri and the new Yuri so many times...

The old Yuri would be flustered and refuse any of this...

But the new Yuri isn't afraid to speak her mind but will get this done...

I love that about her so much.

Despite her protests, I forced my hands onto her back and rubbed the rest of the lotion.

She laughed uncontrollably as I did.

"Kyahahahaha!"

Once that was over, I stood up and took a step back to marvel at my work.

Yuri looked at me with her adorable pout.

"Meanie... Meanie pervert..."

I smirked at this.

Meanie pervert, huh?

"How did you arrive at that conclusion? Was it because of my so-called 'perverted fingers' or what?"

She only nodded in response.

I sighed and put my hand on my hip.

"I mean, hey. I got the job done. So that's gotta worth something."

My girlfriend crossed her arms and looked turned her head away from me.

"Hmph! Meanie-pervert-worker!" She declared.

...

What a weird nickname.

Childish, but it works...

I guess.

* * *

While this was happening, some woman with a microphone and camera came to us.

"My, my! Is this a lover's quarrel at work? What's wrong, you two?"

We were both taken off-guard by the sudden appearance of a camera crew and reporter.

"N-No, no! There's nothing wrong!" We simultaneously explained, much to the delight of the reporter.

We realized what we were saying and flared up as a result.

"I never thought we would see a couple that could make up so quickly! You must have a very caring boyfriend!" She remarked.

But before Val or I could correct her, she cut us off.

"Now! I'm here today to ask you two if you're interested in a contest! The contest of love! The contest of dedication! The contest of trust! That's right! It's the contest of who is the best couple on this beach!"

We glanced at each other, both of us unsure of what to say.

Val shrugged and gave me a look that said to go for it.

"May we ask, what the prize is if there is a victor?" I asked.

The reporter held out a picture of what the prize was.

Both of us stared at the picture and traded glanced.

Hmm.

The prize is a gift card at the local clothes shop.

A shop called Stephanie's Secret.

It's a little underwhelming.

"Very well. We would like to participate!" I declared, now taking my husband's hand.

And so, Val and I were participating in the contest.

In total, only six or so couples were participating.

However, the crowd that formed was quite impressive.

...

I expected more to compete, but given what the prize is, then it makes sense.

As we waited for the contest to start, a man with a microphone walked near us and the couples.

"Welcome, everyone! This is a high-risk, high-reward contest where the participating couples compete against each other in games that show how pure and potent their love is! The couple who is truly in love will win!" He started off. "There are three games! And in those three games, the couples who win will move onto the next! The ones who fail will be eliminated! The winning couple will receive a complimentary voucher to Stephanie's Secret!"

Val nudged me as he spoke.

"This is going to be easy. Just keep it cool and... listen to your heart." He muttered, feeling bothered. "Ugh... OK, that sounds cheesy even for me."

I smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Don't feel bad, Beloved. It's a part of who you are." I reassured.

We failed to notice that the host was looking at with a teasing smile.

"Well, well! Look at these lovebirds! They are showing off their love to everyone! What a bold move! Now! Let's start!"

Our faces started to heat up.

Fortunately for us, the contest host moved on and led us to an area with small dunes of sand and holes everywhere.

"Alright! This is the dig out of your buried boyfriend game! Let's get started!"

I saw Val's face pale as he saw what was going to happen next.

That's right...

He's a little uneasy in places that restrict movement much.

"Girlfriends are to dig their significant other out by hand. Boyfriends, your objective is to get the sand off as well so that you can kiss your girlfriend once free. The couples to kiss before the timer runs out will be able to proceed to the next game! This is the test of cooperation and unity!"

I squeezed my husband's hand and gave him a firm nod, which gave the will to continue.

He squeezed back before laying on the hole, with the workers burying him in the same.

I knew he was a little nervous, given how he had closed his eyes.

Hopefully, I will be able to help him out quickly.

Once the workers were done with the burial, Val opened his eyes and assessed the situation.

I walked over and knelt by his side.

"Are you OK, Beloved?" I asked, worried about his wellbeing.

He gave me a steady smile.

"You're here with me. I'll be just fine. Now let's get this done."

I nodded and thought of a plan.

Since Val is restricted and needs to get out of the sand as soon as possible...

I need to help regain control of his fine motor skills first.

By giving him control, he will be able to pat off the sands on his arms and chest, making it much more straightforward.

"Beloved, I have a plan ready. Since this is the test of cooperation, we must help each other. First, I will dig out the sand on your upper body, that way we can work together to-"

"To get the rest of the sand off. Good thinking, Yuri. Always the quick thinker, huh?" He complimented.

I felt my face starting to flare up.

This is no time to gush over his loving words!

We must do this quickly!

I slapped myself and focused on the task at hand.

"We will be starting the game in 3 seconds! Ready...! 3! 2! 1! Go!"

The whistle blew, and I went straight to work, digging out the sand on his upper body.

As I dug, I knew that I was digging slower than the other couples.

"Look at that! A couple has already finished!" We heard the contest host say.

But I had a feeling my husband's strength will be able to offset this.

A bead of sweat dripped from my forehead, falling to the sand below.

"Grragh!"

That, for some reason, caused Val to pull his hand from the sand.

He reached to this body and was able to quickly work his way to clearing his left side.

The sand was no match for my husband's strength once his left side was cleared.

"Ooooh! Look at this couple here! This boyfriend can quickly outpace the remaining competition! It's as if they planned this out!"

Once a sufficient amount of sand has been cleared, he looked at me.

"Get clear! I can get out now!"

I nodded and took a couple of steps back.

With a mighty jump, he was able to clear the sand off him.

"Hah!"

He arose from the sand and patted the rest of the sand off.

"Looks like he is finally free! There has one more step left to win!"

I immediately ran over to him and kissed him, to which he strangely protested.

Why is he trying to stop me?

I pulled out and eyed his scarlet-red face.

"What's wrong, Beloved?"

He frowned and looked at me in the eye.

"Everyone saw that."

I raised an eyebrow before realizing what I have done.

Oh...

Oh no.

"Wowwwww! Amazing! Such raw love from the girlfriend! What a superb display by the final couple to win the first game!"

The crowd applauded at the turn of events, causing our faces to burn even brighter.

After that turn of events, we proceeded to the next game, with two couples being eliminated.

"Next game is the game of trust! Boyfriends, it is your job to try and catch your damsel from falling! Girlfriends must let fall at the most opportune time because your hero won't be able to help for too long! If the boyfriend holds out their arms for longer than two seconds, then they will be disqualified! You both will be wearing blindfolds!"

We were all handed a blindfold.

My husband and I gave each other one last nod before tying them.

"OK, Honey. This is all too reliant on timing and luck, so I'll try to even the odds. Give me a codeword, and I will pull my arms out to save you."

I thought of a codeword as we got awaited the whisper.

"Let us go for '(Love).'"

I heard of him chuckle at this.

"Oh? We are using 'that' as our codeword? Let's do this then."

We heard the contest host clear his throat.

"Now then! Staff, monitor the couples, and get ready to push the damsel!"

I heard a shuffle behind me as one of the staff got ready.

"We won't be starting at the same time! Rather, everyone will get a warning randomly through our staff, so get ready!"

Hmm...

If that's the case, then I need to pay extra attention later.

We both waited in anticipation of the push.

...

...

...

Is she going to push me or-

Wah!

"(L-Love!)"

Val took a step forward and outstretched, catching me in the last second.

"Good, good! Two couples failed to win the trust test! Now it is only you and another couple! Let us see who wins!"

And so we took off our blindfolds, allowing Val to let out a sigh.

"Not going to lie, this game was a little strangely worded. I had no idea that I had to step forward!"

I gave him a small smile.

"Be that as it may, we won the game at the end of the day."

He shrugged.

"Eh, I guess you're right."

And now, it was the final game.

This time the crowd was strangely close to us.

How strange...

"This is the final game! This game is called "Follow your lover's voice by using sonar!"

...

Is this another blindfold game?

"Boyfriends will be blindfolded and spun in place, while the girlfriends call for their lover in the crowd! Be careful! You don't want to put your arms around another couple's girlfriend! I've been there, hahaha!"

Wait, what?!

Without warning, a staff member pulled me towards the crowd, separating me from my husband.

"Hey! What the hell?!" I heard Val yell, obviously upset by this.

The contest host was taken aback from his angered demeanor.

"Now, now! Don't be upset, your girlfriend will be accompanied by our female staff! Shall we begin then?"

Before the game started, I racked my head for an idea.

Whatever shall I do...?

I looked towards my boyfriend, where he mouthed the word "(Love)" to me, before getting blindfolded and spun around.

Ah!

That's right!

Speaking in Russian is an excellent idea!

There is no way that my husband won't be able to recognize my Russian.

I'm reasonably confident there are no other Russian speakers here.

"Audience! Will you please demonstrate your greatest distractions!"

They all voiced their varied sentences, which worried me a little.

"Now that you are aware of what you're up against, boyfriends, let's get started! In the count of three! 1! 2! And... 3!"

Once the whistle blew, I started to speak in my native language, being distinct from the drowning voices.

"(In the garden of Eden, we sat. And there we wept, realizing the worst has not come to past...)" I started to recite.

This...

This is what we memorized back when we were children.

A book that we promised to read over and over again...

"Oh! Look at this! This boyfriend has already started moving towards the direction of the crowd! Will he be able to find her lover amidst this noise?"

I continued to recite the words I memorized.

"(But with our collective strength, we will endure. And with our love... We will continue on to the next day, warmed by each other's presence...)"

The crowd continued to get rowdier and rowdier.

"Looks like this boyfriend is still looking, but however this one is walking straight somewhere! Is he going in the right direction?!"

I'm sure...

That Val is a little bit familiar with this.

"(Only then, the doors of the promised land would finally open...)" I finished.

I felt a presence hug me tight.

"Good work, Beloved..." I whispered, taking the blindfold off him.

He smiled and leaned to give me a kiss on my forehead.

"I knew we had the right idea. Russian in a crowd like this... It was practically foolproof. What was it you were reciting? It sounds eerily familiar."

I grinned playfully.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you about it later."

The contest walked up to us with the same reporter as before, who was talking with others.

"Well done! Magnificent, from start to finish! You are the couple that wins this contest! You have earned the title of Best Couple of this beach! Congratulations! Here are your prizes, you lovebirds!"

Lovebirds?

He handed us our passes and left.

The reporter thanked the couple and moved to the next couple that competed.

"What's going on there, Val?" I asked, pointing at the more exciting scene ahead of us.

She was walking with the same microphone and camera crew.

"Hmm, if I had to guess, then they are probably interviewing people. I think the contest was big enough to cause a stir." He explained.

She was from our local news network, given the sticker on the camera.

"Thank you for your input and time!" She thanked.

The reporter then stepped in after finishing her interview.

"Now, saving the best for last. The winners of the contest! May I take a moment of your time?"

We traded looks and shrugged.

"Of course." We simultaneously said, causing the reporter to laugh.

"Oh my! The same as before! Given how you are two saying the same things, it's no wonder that you won the contest!" She remarked.

We flared up at this and looked away bashfully.

"How adorable! Now, allow me to start asking questions! Where are you two from?"

I let my husband answer this one.

"Well... We live here. We're both from this city." He answered.

The reporter turned the microphone towards her.

"Is that so? Are you two on a date on this fine day off?" She pressed.

Val was starting to feel a little uncomfortable about this, so I decided to pick up the slack.

"Err... I-I guess, yes."

I rested my chin on his shoulder and smiled.

"Yes! We are on a date!" I answered for him.

My husband squeezed my hand back as thanks.

I squeezed back.

"How romantic! Going to the beach and participating in a contest! Very nice~! Now, what is your relationship? Are you two about to tie the knot?" She teased.

This misunderstanding has gone on long enough.

I can tell my husband is starting to feel a little annoyed by this too.

"We are married!" We both declared at the same time.

...

NOOOO!

Why would we say this at the same time?!

"My, my, my! You two said the same thing thrice! You two are made for each other!"

We both looked at each other despite our embarrassment.

"I... I suppose we are." My husband said.

It's improbable they are to use this footage since this is a small beach after all.

I hope there is nothing to worry about.

"Well, then! Best of luck to you both! Thank you for your time!"

And with that, she finally left.

We both let out heavy sighs.

"Finally..." I muttered under my breath.

"Yeah, tell me about it." My husband agreed.

We then started walking away from the scene and towards our belongings.

"Alright, so what do you want to do next, Yuri?" He asked as I checked if everything was in place.

The rushing water to my side called for us.

I pointed towards the water.

"Let's go swimming! I want to see if you can keep up with me!"

He grinned and cracked his neck.

"Hah! Bring it on! I improved since then!"

And so, we played in the water.

* * *

After our time in the water, we decided to finally start playing volleyball.

"Hmm, a volleyball. I haven't played with these ever since high school." I remarked. "Whenever I had gym with my friends, we would team up and annihilate any teams that went against us. Teamwork really pays off when every strike is coordinated."

She gave me another competitive look, which I welcomed.

"That is the case when you're with your friends. However, I don't seem to see your friends nearby." Yuri stated.

I was pleasantly amused by her taunting.

"Oho? You're challenging me?" I taunted back.

She put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

"I am! And I can't do so if we don't put any ground rules!"

I smirked from her passion.

Hoo, boy...

I get the feeling she gets like this when she competing against Chiyoko.

"Alright, we'll have a penalty game. The loser has to buy crepes!" I declared.

Yuri scoffed at my idea of a penalty.

"Is that all, Val? How disappointing. I suppose you can't make the stakes higher, can you?"

Make it higher?

I mean buying crepes is kind of a significant penalty, right?

"OK, Missus Jones, what's your idea of a penalty?" I asked.

Yuri smirked back.

"You shall see it later. Let's begin! Whoever lets the ball fall three times loses."

I nodded and cracked my knuckles.

"You're on!" I pumped, tossing the ball at Yuri.

She caught it and took a couple of steps back to create some distance.

"OK... I can do this! Watch me, Beloved! I am not as frail as you think I am!" She voiced.

Trying to make up the water fight we had, huh?

I grinned and waved my hand at her.

"Come on! I can take it!"

Yuri took the ball one hand and hit it with her forearm, serving the ball underhand.

The first hit was only the primer for the rest of the game, obviously.

"Hm!"

I lightly set the ball towards Yuri, hoping it wouldn't go out of bounds or anything.

My wife did the same as well.

"Hah!"

I saw the ball was starting to influenced by the wind.

And so, I reached out and hit the ball upwards, giving her the advantage.

She grinned at this and jumped up to hit the ball downwards.

Crap!

A spike!

But it's nothing I can't handle!

Yuri jumped a little in the air and was about to hit the ball down.

When this would happen, the standard procedure was to challenge them and spike it down from their side.

But I was going easy on my wife, so I wouldn't do this.

To accommodate, I crouched and got ready to set it upwards again.

I was able to succeed somewhat.

The ball went upwards again, giving her the advantage.

However, her thin arm had other plans and missed the giant beach ball completely.

As a result, she lost her balance and fell onto the sand.

I recoiled from how she fell before running to her and picking her up.

"Hey, hey... Are you OK?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Y-Yes! I'm fine. I miscalculated that's all."

I looked down to see the sand spread all over her knees, so I brushed it off.

"The ball's too smaaaallll~! Val, get a bigger one!" She bemoaned.

I can only stare at her and took a couple of steps back.

"Yuri. This ball's about 65 centimeters long, or about 2 foot and a half..."

She pouted and looked away.

Hehe...

That's cute.

"Mmmh...!"

Without giving me any sort of warning, she served the ball.

Huh?!

Because of how sudden the serve was and how baffled I was, I had no time to readjust.

"D-Damn it! I can't keep up!" I groaned as the ball kept getting further and further away.

The ball inevitably hit the sand as a result.

Yuri giggled as I couldn't keep up.

"You fell to the oldest trick in the book! You taught me this a long time ago, remember?"

I vaguely remember doing this when we were kids, but I didn't expect it now!

Alright, then.

Looks I'll be on the lookout for any tricks.

Since I had the ball, it was my turn to serve.

"OK, Yuri. Let's not try to use any cheap tricks. Come on!"

I served the ball to her.

She managed to stretch and hit the ball towards me without consequence.

However, unlike her, I hit the ball without stretching due to our height difference.

We continued to hit the ball back and forth before I decided to switch things up a little.

The ball was continuing to get higher and higher, causing Yuri to jump and me to stretch.

This has gone long enough!

I hit the ball downwards, to which Yuri couldn't keep up.

My wife tried to jump and spike the ball but failed.

Fortunately, the wind allowed the ball to stay afloat for a little longer.

She slid on the sand in an attempt to hit the ball back, but the wind had other ideas.

The ball rolled on the sand as a result.

Yuri gritted her teeth at me.

"Some husband you are! Why are you not going easy on your wife?!"

I gave her a teasing smile.

"Yuri, I'm going as easy I can. You have to up your game."

She gave me an adorable growl and served the ball.

Unlike before, I was ready and was able to attack back.

Yuri took my words to heart and started jumping more often to hit the ball, which made me stretch a little more often.

As she jumped, my eyes fixated on her swaying chest, which distracted me.

With luck and the distraction, she managed to spike it, and I wasn't able to hit the ball upwards.

The ball rolled on the sand as a result.

She gasped and jumped in place.

"I did it! I did it! I did it! Val, did you see that?!"

Her bubbly and energetic cheer made me smile.

"Yep, I did! Nice one!"

Wait...

Why did I look at her chest?

And...

I am feeling a little turned on right now?

Especially at the sight of her... **sweat**.

Why?!

Argh! Come on, get it together!

Yuri tossed the ball to me, and I served the ball underarm.

"Take that!"

She returns with an astonishing amount of force.

"Hup!"

The wind started to drift the ball away, making things a little more complicated.

"Damn it! This wind's really starting to get on my nerves! Huah!"

The ball curved with a satisfactory amount of force, causing Yuri to stumble.

However, she was able to recover in time and hit back.

"I-I won't give up! I will make you take the penalty! Here!"

The ball was deflected with a relatively strong force.

"Looks like you're upping your game even more! If you're gonna improve, then I will too! Hrgh!"

I aimed slightly downwards, causing her to hit the ball higher to stabilize things.

"M-Me too! I'll keep adapting and adapting! Just like you, Val!"

I now decided to spike to spice things up.

Yuri, in response, started deflected said spikes.

The ball flew high above my head, giving me ample time to spike.

"This is it! End of the line!"

I stretched up and spiked down, intent ending things once and for all.

But to my surprise, Yuri countered this by jumping to stop my spike.

Impressive.

But I know how to handle that!

I reflexively jumped up as well, spiking the ball down.

But as I did, Yuri's balance in the air faltered.

"Waah!"

Shit!

"Yuri!"

I grabbed onto in mid-air and barely had enough time to shield myself from the brunt of the fall.

Once we fell, Yuri rubbed her head.

"Ow... Ah! V-Val! Are you alright?!" She called.

I shook my head out of it.

"Y-Yeah... Argh...! I'm good, woo! That was a fun game!"

Yuri pursed her lips and looked away.

"It was..."

I looked at her negative expression.

"Hey, look. I was planning on going to the crepe stand anyway, so-"

She put her lips against mine, kissing me.

And just as fast, she pulled away.

"No, Beloved. I lost, and I must pay for the consequences." Yuri interrupted.

I helped her stand up, and she walked over to her bag.

What's she doing...?

I patted the sand off me and eyed her as she walked there.

She knelt down and pulled out something from her backpack.

In her hand was a small egg-shaped bud and what seemed to be a remote.

Wait a minute...

Is that a...

Pink rotor?!

"Don't tell me that's the penalty you were going with!" I muttered while looking at the vibrator. "If I lost then-"

She flared up and shook her head, vigorously.

"NO! No! Of course not! I was thinking of... making love in the changing room after hours... Since we only have a little more time left before we have to leave."

I let out a relieved sigh.

"A-Alright, but why this?" I asked.

She shuffled her thighs in response.

"W-Well... I've been so frustrated lately and..."

I immediately knew what her train of thought was going with.

"Ohh... I didn't know it was this bad... But you don't have to do this." I said.

She shook her head, having none of it.

"I lost the game and therefore must pay for the penalty. This will suffice." She answered.

I gulped as she handed me the remote.

"Fine... I will do this. But hurry back, OK?"

She simply nodded and went to put it in.

Having the ability to bully Yuri with the slight flick, made the bulge in my shorts grow more and more noticeable.

I...

I think I'm hitting my limits here...!

Whatever Yuri did to me is starting to kick in full force!

I don't know if I can't take much more of this...!

And the fact that she is willing to do something this risky is...

Come on...

Just a little more!

Then I get rid of these tendencies...

It didn't take long for Yuri to come back with a bashful smile.

"I'm ready... Test it out."

...

OK!

Let's get this over with!

I looked down on the remote and turned it on slightly.

Her eyes widened, and she bit her lips.

"Aah...! Uuuh...!"

Damn it!

When she's looking at me like this, I really need to let it free!

My heart was pounding against me uncontrollably, as I struggled to keep it in.

"G-Go...! Get a move on..." I ordered, to which she obediently followed.

She walked towards the crepe stand, where an old lady was awaiting new customers.

The old lady smiled at Yuri and awaited her request.

"My, my. You're quite beautiful. Your skin is so very fair!"

She meekly nodded at the woman's words.

I amped up the toy, to which she covertly covered mouth to stop the moans from leaking.

"T-T-T-Thank y-y-you...!" She mumbled.

The old lady smiled and this.

"Now, what would like?" She asked.

I amped up the toy at this, causing her to let out a shaky breath.

She was having extreme difficulty trying to speak at this point.

"I-I-I would like...! Uh!"

Yuri started to reshuffle her thighs.

The old lady eyed Yuri.

"Is there something wrong?"

I amped the toy once more.

She shook her head.

I-I-I can't take it anymore!

I'm the verge of losing it altogether!

I saw some liquid starting to slowly drip down Yuri's nether region, causing me to grab her and pull away from the scene.

"B-B-Beloved?!"

I gave the old lady a patronizing smile.

"Sorry about this." I apologized before dragging my wife to the changing rooms.

It was late, and so the changing rooms were deserted.

Since there was no one around, I pinned her against the wall and glared at her.

Yuri shivered at this.

"You... You did something to me. I feel like I'm slipping...! My self-control has never been this poor before. What did you do?!" I yelled.

My yelling only turned on my wife even more.

"Simple..." She grinned. "Jasmine Tea."

My eyes widened at the context.

No...

So that's why...

"An aphrodisiac? Why? Was it revenge for not fucking you?!"

Yuri licked her lips slowly, but messily.

"You can say that, Beloved. After all, you said I have an attractive body. This was all fair, don't you agree?"

I gritted my teeth and dragged to one of the many stalls.

Once that done, I locked the stall and stripped her.

"Fair?! I'll show you 'fair'!

She welcomed my very aggressive actions.

Usually, I wouldn't be this brash with her.

But given how turned on I am and how she practically judged me, this is only fair.

I flung her black undergarments away and stripped down myself.

Yuri's aroused genitals greeted me, glistening so intensely from the sheen she secreted.

"You're gonna regret drugging me!" I growled, spreading her wet region out, taking the toy out.

"Aah! Make me regret it then!" She invited.

I positioned myself against her, but actively resisted the temptation of her and toyed with her instead.

She was puzzled by my behavior all of a sudden.

"W-What are you waiting for...? Put it in!" She demanded.

I gritted my teeth.

"You aren't any position to demand anything! You're gonna apologize to me, first!"

Fortunately, she was in no mood to protest.

"Very well! I'm sorry for tricking into drinking that tea... Now please! Sate my bodily needs!"

I forcibly inserted into her, causing her to widen her eyes.

"Aah! Agggh! W-What's this?! I n-never thought you would...!"

She has no reason to complain.

But I do have to say that she is incredibly well-lubricated.

As expected from a woman such as Yuri.

And so, I pull back then stabbed my way inside of her, causing her to hitch a breath.

"Ahhhhh! Kyaaah!"

I gripped her hips.

"Every bit that happens next is thorough bullying. So prepare yourself!"

I started my first round of thrusts into her, causing her to wrap her arms around my neck.

"Waaa! Wait! I-I-I! Aaaah!"

I felt myself pulsing inside of her as I continued to thrust.

And I felt her pulsing back in rhythm.

"You're despicable. I can tell you're a lot more excited than usual, aren't you?"

She bit her lip.

"I-It's been so long... My body longed for you... It's a miracle that I managed to hold it all in. And it feels so good too... So, please... Move a little more."

I granted her wish just this once.

"Fine."

I upped the tempo of my thrusts a little and started wandering her narrow walls.

"Hnnngh!"

As she moaned, I made sure to push her down onto the floors of the changing room.

That way, I was able to better penetrate her tunnel.

As I went in and out, she wrapped her legs against my waist, not wanting to let go of me.

"Uuugh! I-I will never get enough of this feeling! Oh my gosh! I feel so alive!"

Her erotic tone and words turned me significantly, almost causing me to forget my original target in bullying her.

Since I didn't need to grip her hips, I bit the side of her neck and focused my hands onto her ample chest.

Yuri reacted accordingly.

"AAAH! Haaah!" She squealed in surprise.

Her squeal allowed me to launch my attack on her, so I thrust deeper into her.

Each time I went back in, her walls clamped against me, stopping me from leaving.

"Khh! You...!"

To punish her for this, I positioned myself a little higher so that she had no choice but to stop her legs from latching.

And because of the extra distance, I rammed myself into her.

She rolled her eyes back from this.

"Auuugh! AH! AH!"

I pinched her nipples as each time I thrust, causing her to arch her back towards me.

And to readjust, I took more distance and entered myself again, until she went back down.

But that didn't seem to be the case at all.

As she arched back, her legs rested on the sides of my arms.

Yuri is still as limber, but that doesn't explain her stamina in some sports.

Here, I just need to break that.

With each thrust, her body convulsed with pleasure.

"Uuugh! Ah! V-V-Val! AAAH!"

She was trying to keep it together, but given how intense we were, that seemed practically impossible.

It didn't take long for her face fall slack as a result.

My hard thrusting caused her legs to spasm uncontrollably as she desperately tried to reclaim her sanity.

I felt her body grow progressively hotter underneath, along with her subtle Lavender body odor becoming more pungent in the air.

Her walls started to clamp down, so I decided to switch things up before she can release herself.

"I don't think so!"

I pulled away and pulled her up before turning her around.

"W-What are you doing?! I-I was so close...! Auuuh~! You meanie!"

I responded by smacking her ample butt.

"AUUGH!"

I stabbed her again, much brusquely than before, which caused her to stick her tongue in surprise.

"Let's see if you can handle this. And you love it when I am rough like this, you lusty woman..."

Since she was on the verge of an orgasm, I quickly sped my tempo as I gripped her hips.

"NGGGAH! AAH! I-I-I! AUUH!"

Yuri was wading through waters from the sudden pause and now rapidly approaching climax.

Every time Yuri moaned, her walls tighten wetly around me and squirm inward, urging me to go further.

I actively resisted the inviting movements, so I pulled slowly out of her.

But before she can react, my head brushed against her bladder, prompting her to grit her teeth.

"Nnnngh! Agh! N-No! D-Don't!"

I pinched her a little roughly, causing her twinge in pain.

"Aagh!"

I smirked at this.

"Sorry about that."

She puffed her cheeks out.

"Meanie... You're so mean, Val..."

Yuri was not aware of what this accomplished.

Since I inspired her to relax after a bit of pain, her carelessness and awareness will plummet.

As I slowly and carefully rubbed her clitoris, Yuri's eyes grow hazier and hazier.

Her legs weakened, her knees trembling uncontrollably, as her climax started getting closer and closer.

The intense heat of her body, her fragrant and womanly scent, and the beads of sweat on her naked back made me feel like I was one with my wife.

"Auuuh...! Val... S-Stop playing with my c-clit... Please... You teased it... long enough... please..."

I replied with a spank.

"AAH!"

She doesn't know her place in this routine.

I'm making her pay.

Now that I have weakened Yuri's defense completely, I began to pick up the tempo.

"Ah! Ah...! AAAH! N-NO! I-I-I don't know if I-I can hold it! Y-Y-You're gonna make me...! Waaaah!"

I scoffed at her.

"If you really want, then fine. Watch me."

Now instead of playing with her clitoris, I began thrusting into her deeper areas.

Her body arched with electricity as I went deep.

"Y-Yes... Yess! I love it! I love it when you rub me there! Good...!"

To reward me for listening to her, she clamped down onto me.

"Grk! Gah! To think you can tighten whenever possible!"

She was grinning.

"I'll reward you if you keep listening to me..."

I didn't like the subtle switch in power.

"Tch! I do whatever I please! Don't you dare try! To think you make demands now..."

And so I focused my efforts entirely hitting her g-spot.

Her arms lost their strength as she collapsed onto the floor in a daze.

"AAAH! AAAH! I-I-I CAN'T HOLD IT IN! Wait! Wait! UGGGH!"

Despite this, I continued to thrust in.

It didn't take her body to finally cave into what it always wanted.

Her walls tightened immensely, causing me to grit my teeth.

"D-DON'T GO THAT FAST! I'm going... I'm going to...! Nhaaaah! Eeeek! AAAAAH!"

Her body shook violently as she rolled her eyes back.

She was desperately trying to gulp in any air with her tongue, but it didn't seem to be working.

Once she finally climaxed, there was an unintentional bonus.

Her climax triggered her bladder to slacken as well, causing her to lose control.

"You meanie! You meanie! I can't stop peeing! And... You aren't stopping! UGGGH!"

I gave another smack as I continued to thrust.

"Hey, it's not my fault that your womb is opening up now. It keeps sticking out, so I want to keep going..." I teased.

But as I kept going, her recovered state broke once more.

Her tongue was out again, trying to take any air to regulate her breathing.

"AAAAH! I feel so hot! And I still can't stop peeing! I'm still so sensitive too! Auuugh! I-I think I'm gonna...!"

But before she gave me any more information, she rolled her eyes back, tightening against me.

And so, I decided to give my all.

I twisted my hips around so that I can tease and violate every little corner of her walls.

She reacted positively to this.

"EYAAAH! You meanie! You're such a meanie...! Auuuh!"

I grinned at her outburst.

"I told you, I was gonna make it extra punishing today."

Because of my twists, I was able to stir her up, causing her to lose her mind.

"Haaah! Haaaaah! Shoo good...! Aaaah! Vaaaaal~! Keeeep fucking meeeee!"

I gritted my teeth as I felt a building pressure starting to overwhelm me.

Her legs were starting tremble with her body spazzing from my brutal thrusts.

"I-I... I can't... Nooo! Yeeeeesss! AAAAAH!"

I felt her body release its juices all over my manhood.

My body couldn't handle anymore of the tightening and twitched uncontrollably, finally releasing the payload.

"Aah! Damn...! Gaah...! It's like you're trying to wring it out of me...!" I groaned, as my world went blank for a second.

When I came to, Yuri still had her mind broken expression, unable to comprehend her surroundings.

Her vaginal walls still tightening around, causing me to grit my teeth.

"Gah! Jeez, you really wanted it badly, huh?"

I felt myself twitch as I slowly let myself into her.

Her womb was filled with my seed but still refused to let go.

After a couple of minutes, she stirred.

"Mmm... What happened?" She cutely asked.

I didn't separate from her.

"You came pretty hard and went blank," I answered. "How was it?"

She responded by clamping against me.

"Amazing... Absolutely sublime, Beloved... I never thought having one round would cause this to happen..."

I grinned at that.

"Well, you drugged me, so I was extra mean to you. This was way better than having a couple of rounds, don't you think?"

She nodded lethargically.

"Y-Yes... Yes, indeed. Val... I feel sleepy..."

Without much warning, she knocked out cold.

Wow...

I never thought it would push her to that point...

Looks like it was more than she can handle.

I picked her up in her arms and cleaned her with the showerhead.

But she loved it and so did I.

So, this was worth it.

* * *

I woke up next to my Beloved on the next day.

He caressed my cheek as I woke up.

"Ah, you're finally awake. Good morning." Val greeted, kissing me on the cheek.

I cooed from his loving gesture.

"Mmm... Good morning, my Love."

I yawned and stretched my limbs.

"I made breakfast today. We got work in the afternoon, and it's gonna be about is meeting or something. I don't think we have a lot of work today, either." He said, vacuuming the bedroom.

Seems like these past few days have been light.

I don't mind these days much, but I do wish to go back to work soon.

"Thank you, Beloved. I will wash up and begin eating."

It didn't take long for me to clean myself and begin eating with my husband.

He took the plate and sat down in front of the TV, turning it on.

As he switched it on, he gave me the toast and began to eat.

"Tell me if you want toast, we got plenty." He assured, now looking for the remote.

I smiled and handed him the remote.

"Of course, thank you, Beloved."

With a nod, we both looked towards the TV.

"And now, we had our newscaster go to the local beach to film the local 'Best Couple' contest yesterday. Please enjoy the footage." The announcer droned.

We were both a little surprised by this.

"The local beach?" I muttered.

"The local contest?" He muttered as well. "Must be a coincidence, I'll get some more jam and some milk."

The same interviewer came onto the screen displaying the contest's couples and the many watchers.

Hmm...

This must be coincidence indeed, as these are only interviews.

My husband returned with more jam and was gulping down a glass of milk.

"There are two other beaches besides the one we went to. So I'm guessing it wasn't ours. Oh, well." He said, putting the glass of milk down.

Hmm, they must have been filming in the other beaches and deemed our beach's footage unsuitable.

I looked up and saw a rather amusing sight.

Along his upper lips were a thin line of milk.

"Love, do you mind looking at me?"

He raised an eyebrow and sat down, allowing me to kiss him.

I licked the milk clean off him, to which he pulled away.

He saw me smack my lips from this.

"Seriously, never would've expected such a treat this early in the morning. That's what I paid for when I hooked up with you."

I winked at him.

"Indeed... You were asking for it, after all."

He sighed happily.

"Jeez... We're a bunch of lovebirds, aren't we?"

I laid my head on his shoulder.

"That we are."

My eyes went back to the TV and saw something that shocked me.

"Ahhhh!"

He jolted back and was startled by my sudden yell.

"W-What?! What's wrong?" He asked, now rubbing his ear.

I pointed at the screen.

"Now, saving the best for last. The winners of the contest! May I take a moment of your time?"

Those...

Those are the same words the interviewer from yesterday has said!

"(Aw, fuck me...)" My Beloved muttered in English. "We weren't even cut..."

Both of us appeared on TV.

"V-Val... Val! We're on television! What are we to do now?!" I panicked.

He looked ahead nervously.

"Uh... There's nothing we can do now. Don't worry, nobody watches the local news. Everyone gets their news from the internet instead. We got nothing to fear." He reassured.

"Now, allow me to start asking questions! Where are you two from?"

"Well... We live here. We're both from this city."

"Did you have to say that we live here and from this city?" I asked.

He flared up.

"Hey! I was only answering normally, alright?"

"Is that so? Are you two on a date on this fine day off?"

"Err... I-I guess, yes."

"Yes! We are on a date!"

I facepalmed from how lovey-dovey I was.

"I can't believe it... I shouted over you... How embarassing~..." I mumbled.

He took the chance to deadpan at this.

"You would be surprised by how cute you get from doing that."

I shook my head out of it.

"Everything yesterday was a bit of haze... What did she ask next?" I questioned, feeling a little queasy.

"How romantic! Going to the beach and participating in a contest! Very nice~! Now, what is your relationship? Are you two about to tie the knot?"

We both knew what was coming next.

"We are married!"

...

...

...

"We... actually said that..." I uttered.

"At the same time..." He continued.

My soul was starting to leave my body.

"My, my, my! You two said the same thing thrice! You two are made for each other!"

"I... I suppose we are."

"Ehehe!"

Both of our faces on sc-reen were flushed as we smiled awkwardly, but lovingly.

"This... This is all so embarrassing." I squeaked. "We are total lovebirds..."

He rubbed his face.

"Not even... We're a completely idiotic couple." Val corrected.

We both got calls, with both our cells ringing, so we picked up.

"Hello?" I greeted.

I heard a giggle on the other side.

"Hello, Yuri. Are you having a good morning so far?"

My mother called, and I knew exactly why.

"Y-Yes... we are..."

"Hahaha! Good to know, especially since you had a good time on the beach as well... Heehee~!"

"Mom!" I heard Val groan.

We both knew that our parents saw the interview.

"W-What are you saying? We... We stayed home yesterday, mother."

She didn't buy it at all.

"Yuriiii, come now. Don't you try to lie to me, young lady! To think you would be so lovey-dovey with your husband!"

My face burned from this.

"Mother! We weren't lovey-dovey!"

"Mom! We weren't an idiotic couple!"

Oh, dear...

* * *

I walked into the office, nervous and incredibly jumpy.

Our friends teased us except Dan...

I got a feeling he's gonna tease the shit of me in person.

But not to worry.

I doubt anyone will jump in when he's busting my balls.

To prevent anything from happening, I went straight to my desk and turned on my computer.

As I waited for my computer to turn, I saw my coworkers snickering at something as they passed by me.

Oh...

Oh no.

"Well, well, well. Look who's come to work."

Oh shit.

That isn't Dan at all!

That's-

My eyes reluctantly looked up to see my Boss looking at me with a teasing smirk, instead of his usual serious expression.

Aw, come on!

"H-H-Hello, sir..." I mumbled.

He crossed his arms and looked teasingly at me.

"To think you made my daughter so lovey-dovey. I knew you were the one for her. It seems like you're taking good care of her!"

Fuckkkkkk!

I thought it would only be Dan but...!

"Heh, to think someone like this idiot can make a girl head over heels is astounding." Dan teased, joining into the conversation.

I couldn't muster a glare but only blush profusely.

"Boss, that isn't the best of words to use, but we got to see how lovey-dovey you two are~ Ahhhh! I'm so jealous!" One of my coworkers exclaimed.

Wait!

Whoa, whoa!

Two is a company, but three is a crowd!

One of my senior workers joined in as well.

"Hoh, I'm glad to see the youngins' are still loving as before! You're an imposing specimen of a man, you know that, Mr. Jones?"

I twiddled my thumbs from this.

This...

This is going to suck, huh?

Before anyone can join, the company phone rang, providing a much-needed distraction.

"I'll get that!"

I jumped to the phone, fleeing from the teasing.

"Hello, Ikeda Publishing-"

"Ahh! Perfect! I was waiting for you to pick up! I wanted to speak to you!"

Uh, oh.

It's Yuri's mom!

"Uh... Yes, what would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, you know. About what I saw on TV this morning... Come now! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Err... Maybe we can talk about this later?

"Why, laterrrrr? Let's talk about how lovey-dovey you were with Yuri! I got everything from her, but now I need your point of view! Tell me!"

I pursed my lips from this.

"I-Ivanka, this is the office phone! Let's just talk about this later!"

Man...

I know Yuri got teased to oblivion from this too...

* * *

It has been a few days since everyone teased both Yuri and me because of what we said at the beach.

We were still feeling the aftershocks of it here and there, but the teasing has ceased for the most part.

Yesterday, Akira ordered some senior workers, along with Dan and me for a meeting.

To my surprise, Yuri, Ivanka, and some of the writing team were there as well.

We gave each other a brief wave before we sat down.

It was clear that the CEO was about to deliver some grave news to us as we entered the room.

We were briefed that Akira's new arrivals talked about a while ago were planning on making a visit to us.

"I hope you all can recall the meeting we had about a few days ago. We have guests coming to the company. These people are simply here to bolster our workforce and monitor our progress, so they can give valuable insight and advice. They are expected to leave by the month's end."

I got a bad feeling about this.

Especially since Akira was super serious right now.

I know that we all have the same question right now.

Why?

Why are these guys coming to our workplace?

And who even are they?

"The people that are arriving soon are from the same company, but from another branch of the family. They were considered to be our rivals before, but now they are our allies. Albeit, reluctantly... They have a vested interest in us because of how we failed to win the deal against the American company some weeks ago."

As soon as Akira finished speaking, we all glanced at each other.

We all have a bad feeling about this.

Nothing about this even gives the slightest glimmer of good-faith.

Akira did mention that the Ikeda family has some infighting because of his marriage to Ivanka, but... I never thought they would strike back at a time like this.

It's like... they planned this out.

But, I don't have any evidence of that.

My gut is screaming at me right now...

I'm sure they have ulterior motives, such spying on us.

Wait...

Are they aware of my marriage with Yuri?!

Sure, it's a bit of an open secret with the people I know and those I work with closely, but I never thought anyone would leak that information out!

...

Stay calm me, I'm only basing this off on a hunch.

We'll have to see for ourselves.

Ivanka stepped in to speak, which is something I never saw until now...

"I expect that we work harmoniously with our guests, and hope to improve relations with the other branch. And so, we will work as usual and win the next deal that comes."

Huh...

She's almost like an older version of Yuri whenever she speaks so seriously.

And now we are at the present time, with the new workers watching us like hawks as they did their work.

It was difficult for some to focus on their work as they watched on, but we kept at it.

For me, I was a mix of being able to work but also being a little on-edge.

I don't understand these guys at all.

They have this weird aura around them.

For the most part, they are seemingly friendly and helpful.

But I think we all known this is just an act so they can observe us more closely.

On the other hand, I feel that they are mocking us and planning something behind our backs.

Planning something insidious, that's for sure.

I don't know why I feel that way, but-

"Mr. Jones? Do you need any help?" One of the workers asked.

He had a friendly smile on, but I knew he was forcing it.

I smiled back.

"No, no. I'm fine, thank you." I reassured, causing him to bow and leave the area.

My lips pursed into an annoyed frown.

Maybe I'm just distrustful...

Strange...

I can usually work with newer people.

Same for the senior workers too...

But that doesn't explain why some of our workers are somewhat hostile to them as well.

Some of the senior workers don't like these guys at all.

Especially if some of them are from the same branch of Ivanka's father.

A bunch of random workers from another branch of the company is suddenly helping us...

There is bound to be something afoot.

After a little bit, it was now our lunch break, so I immediately walked towards Dan.

But before I walked towards his desk, I saw a woman checking Dan's work.

Dan politely waited for her to finish checking, but I knew he was much irritated.

After all, we have been friends for a decade now.

The woman returned the documents to him and bowed.

"Good work, Mr. Miyazaki. Everything seems to be in order."

Dan only gave her a nod before she walked away.

Once she was gone, Dan let out a heavy sigh and glared in the direction the worker left.

"What a pain. Hey, Val. We're taking our lunch break?" He asked, giving me a small smile.

I nodded, to which he quickly stood up.

We then walked out of the building, avoiding the 'friendly' gazes the other workers gave us.

Dan shot me a look that meant: "We're being watched..."

I pursed my lips and nodded.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for long for us to exit the building, away from the workers' sights.

We both let out deep breaths as we were finally out of the suffocating workplace.

"Damn it! I hate these punks!" Dan started to rant, which was rare for him to do. "I know it is what it is, but I never been so annoyed in my life! Argh!"

I patted the back of his shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry. We only have like what? A few days until they leave. Even if they aren't helpful to me..."

Hmm...

I wonder how Yuri's doing with all this.

* * *

This isn't right at all...

I looked around and saw the workers' fake cheery smiles.

We all were feeling uneasy about this.

I know they are spying on us.

But for what reason?

I glanced at the clock, hoping my break time would arrive soon.

And I was granted that.

All this spying and fake enthusiasm are starting to wear on me...

I need to leave as soon as possible.

As I packed some of my belongings to leave the building, one of the workers came up to me.

"Ah. Hello, Ms. Ikeda. I'm sorry that I'm intruding in your break, but I have orders to check on your work." She asked with an obviously fake smile.

I suppressed my urge to roll my eyes.

"It's not a problem. Please, take a look." I courteously answered, allowing her to see my terminal.

With a nod, she examined my work and scrolled over it.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Chiyoko calling me.

What does she want now?

I took a step to the side and motioned her to come towards me.

She got up and quickly covered the distance.

Once the blond was here, we took a couple of subtle steps to the side to make sure the worker wouldn't listen in.

"They're checking your work too, huh? These guys did the same to me." She muttered.

I glimpsed back at the worker.

"I don't like this. They are up to something." I whispered back.

The worker looked like she was finished, so I walked up to her.

She turned around and gave me her usual smile.

"Good work! There aren't any errors in your writing! Enjoy your break!" She cheered. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Ikeda."

The worker started to walk away but stopped and turned around.

"Say, Ms. Ikeda. Do you happen to spend your lunch break with someone?"

Behind that cheery smile, there was something insidious.

I instantly knew what she talking about.

What?!

How does she know of our marriage?!

"N-No, I don't!" I mumbled, now taking a step back.

She took a step forward and smiled even brighter.

"Aw. Please, don't hide your embarrassment! I'm sure you do have-"

"Ma'am. That's enough." I heard someone interrupt.

I looked to my side and saw Chiyoko giving her own fake smile to the worker.

She was taken off-guard by this.

"Ms. Ikeda doesn't have any other significant others at the moment. So please, don't it the wrong way. Now if you will excuse us, we will be taking our lunch break."

With that, she dragged me away from the scene.

...

Ehh...?!

Did my rival defend me there?!

As soon as we left the building and away from the workers' surveillance, Chiyoko turned to me and bowed, surprising me again.

"I'm sorry for my behavior the other day!" She apologized.

Eh?

"Um... uh... I... I suppose you're forgiven...?" I uttered, a little confused.

She frowned and didn't raise her head to my level.

"It's been a while since you two have been married, huh?" She asked.

I slowly nodded, allowing her to continue.

What is she getting at exactly?

"Yes... We have. For almost a few months." I answered. "Chiyoko, is there something you want to tell me?"

She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

"Yeah, I do. You should know... I couldn't believe it for myself. I thought the doofus was still single to this day. I wrote about what could have been if he and I were still childhood friends. What could have been if he didn't leave the U.S again... And what could have been if he wasn't hit by a car... That delusion of mine faded when you wrote about your childhood with him. Hearing that he found someone hurt me. The month we spent together was... eventful. But I realized that I fell in love with him a while back. To see him back in Dokisai and sometimes here makes my heart spark. But it was my fault for not going after him when I had the chance. Or maybe I never had a chance. If I was realized my feelings a long time ago, then things might have been different."

Is this...

Is this how Val felt when Monika confessed to him but had to reject her?

"I'm sorry."

It was all I could muster at the moment.

She shook her head.

"Don't be. I'm starting to get over him. I can't go for a married man, can I?" She joked. "Anyway, let's get some lunch. You owe me that much for saving you."

Her competitive nature came back once she was done talking.

I smiled back.

"Very well."

* * *

I was now in the Ikeda household with Akira.

It has been a few days since the new workers have come to our offices.

We all know something was up, so Akira decided to negotiate with Ivanka's father, to get some people to rid the spies.

But Akira decided to take me with him.

I figured it's because I had to meet with him sooner or later.

And to demonstrate my worthiness to Akira's next successor, even if I came from a lower class.

One of the household members bowed as we sat down.

"Thank you for coming. Mr. Ikeda will be arriving soon, please make yourselves comfortable." He said before leaving the room.

The household was very traditional, with paper-thin sliding doors, multiple maids and butlers, and a large atrium in the middle.

It was very atypical of a daimyo or something similar to rank to have a compound like this.

Despite the warm surroundings, I felt very uneasy about this.

My gut feeling is a little conflicted.

On the one hand, I might be comfortable if I perform well.

But I got a feeling that he is one of those guys who are seldom impressed by anything.

We heard a door open, and we both saw a tall, but a regal man wearing a dark yukata enter the room with his attendants.

He motioned for his attendants to leave and sat down.

Akira and I bowed, honoring his presence.

"Thank you for meeting us, Mr. Ikeda," Akira said, now raising his head. "It is great to see you."

I followed suit and kept my eyes lowered.

"Hm. Likewise, Akira. Now let's get to business. This isn't a friendly visit, am I wrong?"

Wow...

He is incredibly straightforward.

"No, sir. It is not." Akira answered, straightening himself. "We're here to ask for your assistance. Recently, there have been workers from other family branches coming to our offices to help 'bolster' our workforce. But it is growing more and more evident that they are planning something."

He rubbed his chin in thought and grunted.

It was apparent he wasn't surprised by this.

"I see. They have made their move. To think they would undermine my authority so brazenly... Before we get any further, I have to ask..."

I felt his eyes focus on me.

"Who's this?" He asked.

Don't fuck up, me...

I have to be clear and confident about this.

Here goes.

I looked up with a serious face and looked into his purple eyes.

"I am, Val Jones, sir. I am currently under the tutelage of Mr. Ikeda." I answered.

He didn't react for a couple of seconds, instead of examining me closely.

"Hmph. An American? Speaking fluently, too. So, you have wed my granddaughter, haven't you, Mr. Jones?"

I still looked in his eyes and gave him a small nod.

He smirked slightly.

"To see, you're still keeping eye-contact with me... Impressive. Akira, give a moment, will you? I would like to speak to him privately."

Akira stood up and bowed.

Our eyes met, and he gave me a curt nod before leaving.

Once he left the room, Mr. Ikeda looked me in the eye once more.

I did the same as well.

"So you're Mr. Jones? Middle class, American, moved in almost two decades ago... Your father is a very promising worker with a decorated police history. Such as... stopping a gun-running business around this area with S.A.T snipers."

What the...?

He really has done his homework...

I didn't dare to show him any reaction to this.

"You joined our workforce for almost two years now. Akira speaks highly of you, always citing that you are a hard worker and constantly improving... What do you have to say for yourself? Is there a reason why you worked so hard?" He asked, with a cold stare.

I gripped my knees and answered him.

"Yes, Mr. Ikeda. It's because I want to provide for your granddaughter. I have to show... Akira, that I am willing to whatever it takes as his student."

He stroked his small black beard and closed his eyes in thought.

"As his student, you say and to provide for Anastasiya? Don't be afraid to state 'your' true intentions. I know you are hiding something, Mr. Jones." He sagely responded.

I pursed my lips as he wanted the truth from me.

"Very well. I want to succeed in your son-in-law and become the next CEO of the company. All the while, fulfilling my original intentions." I confidently said. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Because of my brazen words, he eyed me.

I stared back with a slight glare to cement how serious I was.

After a while, he smirked.

"That's what I'm so intrigued about non-aristocrats. Having a spine. You're a forceful personality, aren't you?"

I was taken off-guard by his sudden smirk.

"What?" I mumbled.

He guffawed at my reaction.

"Ho, ho, ho! This is what I want in my company! I only realized it when my daughter finally married Akira. All the men that I interviewed who wanted to wed my Ivanka were all spineless, thieving, cowards! I'm glad my son-in-law sought you to wed my granddaughter."

I still couldn't process the information in front of me.

Wait...

Does he already approve of me?

What is even this?!

"Err... If I may, Mr. Ikeda, I thought you would be against me in general. After all, I'm only a guy who has a bachelor's degree in business and working in your company as an intermediate worker. Wouldn't you want someone much richer and experienced than I am?"

He smirked at this.

"No, I would not. My father did the same thing in his youth by wedding the rich and powerful to my sister. All they did was attempt steal from him, no matter how trustworthy or experienced they seemed. When I met your father-in-law, his hardworking and reserved personality enticed me. At first, I was close making the same mistake as my father by allowing a Russian chip manufacturer to wed with Ivanka. But he stole her away while I heard the manufacturer got arrested for illicit gambling and smuggling. So I begrudgingly accepted their wedding and haven't regretted it since. Akira is still loyal to me and is working the company to prosperity. He also has made my daughter happy and made sure his children were happy as well. That's all I ever wanted from a man."

This is a lot to unpack...

"In that case... I'm assuming I fit the bill too?"

He nodded.

"Yes, you do. You're the perfect candidate to succeed, Akira. The imbeciles I call my relatives don't understand the consequences my father went through and don't approve of what happened recently. They are using the failed deal to justify their excuse to spy on you all. Don't worry. I will make sure that those workers will be gone by tomorrow, along with added security if they attempt to do something."

I let out a relieved sigh.

"Ah... That is good news. Thank you, Mr. Ikeda."

He gave me a small smile, which resembled Yuri's and nodded.

"Don't thank me yet. I must fulfill my word first. You're free to leave if you like. Please send Akira in on your way out, so we can discuss the finer details."

I nodded back and gave him a smile before leaving.

Maybe...

Things won't be bad, after all.

* * *

The next day sped by.

Beloved told me about how he went to my grandfather's compound to get his support.

Of course, I knew of this and wished him the best since I had no reason to be there.

What's strange is how quickly the family workers have started to pack up.

It's like they are a hurry to leave.

That must be good, right?

I still couldn't shake off the bad feeling in my stomach.

Why do I feel this way?

They are leaving us alone...

But I feel like they are planning something important.

And that plan is about to come to fruition.

I tried to stave off this bad feeling and continued to work until my break.

As my break started to finally arrive, I received a text message from my husband.

"Hey, Yuri. Want to have lunch with me? I want to talk about something."

"..."

"Of course, my Love. I will be waiting in the lobby."

I wonder what Val wants to talk to me about...

I hope it is nothing terrible.

With an invigorated smile, I finished my work quickly and went down downstairs.

It seems like things are going back to how they used to be.

This is very relieving to hear.

Now I don't have to look over my shoulder every few moments.

To my surprise, he was already waiting for me.

He walked up to me with his usual dorky smile

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be finished already. Are you ready to go now?"

I nodded and took his hand.

"Yes! Let us depart!"

And so we exited the building.

It was rather sunny today, which added to my good mood.

"Hey, do you know what day it is?" Val suddenly asked.

Hmm?

Is there something particularly special today?

...

Ah!

That's right!

Today is the day where he...

Where he told me loved me in the garden.

"Yes, I do. You told me... You loved me while we held each other in the garden."

He looked elated when I remembered.

"Good, I have something to show you when we get to the cafe. I think you'll like it."

We then walked to the cafe to get our lunches.

I was trying my best to hold in my excitement of whatever the surprise was.

While we waited for our lunch to arrive, my husband squeezed my hand, which prompted me to look at him.

In his other hand was a small red box, little enough to carry a...

No...

Is he finally going to...

"Come on, me...! I wanted to show you how serious I am to be your husband. I know we're married and all but...

He took a deep breath and opened the box.

Inside was a silver ring with an amethyst gem in the middle.

"I want to make it for real this time. I want to have a ceremony. So, Yuri..."

He paused and looked into my purple eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

The happiness in my heart was starting to spill as my eyes burst into tears.

He was taken aback from this but was surprised once more when I rammed my lips into him.

Since we were in public, I reluctantly gave him a quick kiss before pulling away.

"Y-Yes! I accept! I will be your bride!"

* * *

My gut feeling was yelling at me as if something was badly wrong.

I looked down at Yuri and saw she was getting a little anxious for some reason.

She then turned to me.

"Don't look behind you. We're being tailed."

What?!

"By who?" I asked, looking straight into her eyes.

But I knew the answer right away.

"Damn! I thought they will leave us alone! Alright, let's take a shortcut straight to my workplace."

I didn't quicken my pace, since it would make us look suspicious, so we kept it calm and slow.

"Val... I've seen these people before... Remember when you walked me home from Dokisai?"

What...?!

No way...

So they have been onto us from the very beginning?!

I grimaced and looked forward.

"In the words of Mr. Ikeda, 'imbeciles,' they don't know when to quit."

Mr. Ikeda knew some altercations may happen, so he gave me a button that serves as a distress call.

I pressed it and hoped that help would be on the way.

The shortcut I usually took was, for some reason, completely empty.

Wait...

Did they know that we were taking a shortcut?

We continued to walk down the shortcut and down into an alley.

On the other side is the front of my workplace...

We're almost there!

Suddenly around the corner, came a large man who blocked our way.

He stared at us and slowly advanced toward us.

We looked behind us and saw the two people shadowing us, starting to walk toward us as well.

"Shit...! Stay calm, Yuri. It's only a matter of time until Mr. Ikeda's men come...!" I reassured.

She was petrified with what was going on and only offered a meek nod in response.

The men cornered and backed us against the wall.

"(You can understand us, can't you? Let Ms. Ikeda go. We have no plans for you.)"

Russian?!

I snarled at them.

"(Fuck you. You're all from the other Ikeda branch, aren't you?)"

The large man grinned at this.

"(It doesn't matter. Let her go, and you can walk. Otherwise, you will not like the consequences.)"

I shook my head and motioned Yuri to lay low.

"(She's my wife. Don't you dare try anything.)"

Their next move surprised me.

He threw a punch to which I barely was able to parry.

Such strength!

The two other men attacked, so I shoved the larger man away and punched the one closest to Yuri.

He recoiled, allowing me to attack the next man near her.

The larger man was a much more significant threat than the other two, so I put my fists up and adopted my boxing stance.

I was able to parry the next punch since I was ready and countered with a swift uppercut, causing him to double back.

The one closest to Yuri before tried to charge at me, so I maneuvered towards the downed larger man and sidestepped him, causing him to trip.

And now it was the third man who was up, so I decided to take charge and attack.

With a quick jab, I rattled his head, which allowed me to follow up with a few more punches against his shattered defenses, ending it with a cross.

He staggered to the left and hit the wall.

And now it was the larger man and the other shadower who was up.

They eyed me waiting for me attack, so they can both start to counter.

Patience...

All I have to do is wait and see.

The smaller stepped in and swung at me, to which I ducked.

He tried swinging again, but I shifted my body back.

Frustrated that he couldn't land a hit, he focused onto my lower body, which I saw and moved to the side, causing him to fall over.

This is what the larger man was waiting for, and he landed a strong punch on my cheek.

"Gah!"

I was surprised by this since it was hard-hitting and was unexpected.

"Val!" Yuri screamed.

I put my hand up to stop her from worrying.

"I'm OK! Don't worry!"

The larger man took the chance to swing again, but I knew what to do.

I blocked the enormous punch with my arms and landed two quick counter punches in return.

He was only staggered by this as I continued to swarm him.

I knew I had to move to the next target, so I did a right hook, hoping it would make fall over.

It barely managed to do that, unfortunately.

I felt a sharp pain behind me, turning to see the second man attacking me with kicking.

With footwork, I step dodged his kicks and landed another hit on him, in the form of an uppercut.

I saw the third man seizing the chance to take Yuri from me, so I moved to intercept.

That is until I was stopped in my tracks with a nelson.

Shit!

To counter the nelson, I tried to move backward and hit the large man against the wall, but he knew what I was doing.

He backed himself onto the wall so it wouldn't take him by surprise.

"Yuri! Look out!"

Before she could react, the third man grabbed Yuri by the arm.

I tried to set myself free, but I slugged by the second man.

"(You should've listened when you had the chance!)" He angrily yelled, punching me.

Which each hefty punch, I felt my vision being clouded by something black.

Everything went in slow motion.

Yuri tried her best to resist but wasn't able to dent the third man's grip.

As I saw the despair in her face, I felt angry.

They're taking her away from me...!

I promised that I will protect her!

With newfound strength, I slightly shifted and kicked the second man, allowing me to headbutt the larger man behind me.

I charged ahead and slammed the second man down to the ground and landed a savage sledgehammer against his skull, knocking him out.

The larger man tried to grab me again, but I knew better.

I slapped away his hands and crossed him, this time, causing him to double over.

Once the two pursuers were down, I sprinted towards the third man trying to escape with Yuri and pulled her off.

"(Get your hands off her!)"

I palmed both of his ears and landed some wild punches against him, making him fall over, subduing him.

He put his hands up, trying to stop my punching, but it was futile.

Once I was done, he was bleeding profusely and was knocked out.

The larger man was starting to stand up again, so I broke out the combo I practiced against the punching bag.

I won't let them touch them again!

I punched him with my right arm.

"One!"

I quickly followed up with my left arm.

"Two!"

Right after the quick follow up, I threw in a cross with my right.

"Three!"

He was trying his best to keep his ground, but I kept advancing.

With the cross, my left arm went for a swift uppercut.

"Four!"

The larger man was struggling to not fall over at this point, so I went for a hook keeping the momentum.

"Five!"

I pulled my fist back and landed the final hit, a quick yet brutal cross.

"Six!"

The man fell over twitching from the combo before he stopped moving.

Once it was done, I collapsed on my knees and desperately tried to catch my breathing.

I turned to Yuri and saw a woman holding her with a knife against her throat.

"Yuri!" I called, which caused the woman to move the knife closer.

Behind the women were more men, which I assumed were with her.

Damn it!

"Not one more step. If you want her to live, stop fighting! We are taking her to Russia away from you. It's over."

I gritted my teeth and glared at her.

"You cowards! Why?! Why are you taking her?! Just so you can continue your aging tradition?!"

She put the knife down and glared back.

"A peasant like you has no reason to learn of our tradition and family history. We had Akira under our fingertips... But you?! Letting you join the family is the last straw! If we take Mr. Ikeda's granddaughter, he will be forced to listen to our every demand!"

Before she can continue her tirade, a black man grabbed her from behind and slammed to the ground.

"What?!"

A group of men jumped out of a van with sidearms, checking the men I knocked out.

Yuri ran to me, and I put her behind me from the advancing men.

"Easy." One of the men in black said. "We work for Mr. Ikeda. You're safe now."

I darted my eyes between him and his men handling the scene.

What am I going to do against people with guns?

...

I guess I can trust him, but...

"Safe-word?"

He nodded.

"Lavender." The man responded, causing me to loosen up.

Thank goodness...

"We apologize for the lateness, sir. Impressive that you were able to hold off those three men." He said, now turning to clean up.

I turned around to see a pale Yuri.

"We're safe now, Yuri. It's OK."

She simply hugged me, scared that I would disappear.

"I was so scared for you... They were punching you and... and..."

Yuri started to tear up with what could have happened.

"I promised that I would protect you... And I will continue to that for the rest of my life. Don't you worry."

She gave me a smile.

"I know... You really did mean every word. I never doubted you for a second... Thank you for saving me."

I smiled back.

"It's part of the job. After all, we're married... right?"

My wife giggled as we walked out of the alley.

"Yes... Yes, we are. I hope... I hope this never happens again. I want to live out my life with you in peace."

I took Yuri with me, and we decided to go home early.

"Me too... And you know why?"

She nodded.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

...

...

...

It has been some time after the incident...

My husband and I have become relatively successful in our endeavors.

He has become the right-hand man of my father and is planning on taking his plan soon.

While I... I became a stay at home mother and author.

My works have gotten worldwide acclaim since the debut, and it didn't take long for my works to get translated.

All in all... life was perfect.

We had twin daughters and a garden, after all.

"Papa! Wake up! Wake up! It's time to goooooo!" I heard one of my daughters whine as they pushed my husband.

He groaned and shifted on the sofa.

She looked up to her twin sister and nodded.

With a flying body-slam, she landed on him.

"Father, wake up." My other daughter demanded.

That got my husband's attention, and he laughed as a result.

"Hahahaha! Oh, alright, alright! I'm up. Where are we going?"

I leaned against the doorframe as he dealt with our twin daughters.

Surprisingly, this wasn't what I expected at all.

Having twins on the first try is not unheard of, but to think our wish was granted...

I'm grateful...

"Beloved, we're going to the garden, remember? We have a picnic today."

He snickered at us.

"Oh, I know, I know. I remember. Come on, let's get going."

Both of our daughters got off, and we went straight to the backyard, leading to our garden.

We fulfilled our promise in the park, striving to make the garden a sanctuary for our family.

So far, it was good, and we were ready to make more and more improvements.

We all were seated underneath the cherry blossom tree's shade, with our two daughters being restless throughout the whole ordeal.

Once we were done eating, the two jumped up and went straight to the garden to play.

"Heeeey! Don't move too much, or you won't feel good!" My husband hollered.

I giggled and laid my head on him.

"Don't be like that, Love. They ate relatively light, we have nothing to worry about."

He sighed and smiled as we relaxed.

"Oh, alright... I can't help feel overprotective over them... I love them so much." He said, which made my heart soar.

I hummed as we both watched our daughters play.

"And they love you. They have a loving father, after all."

He wrapped his arm around me.

"Don't forget they have a loving mother—a mother who looks... exactly like them. I don't know why, but all my girls inherited from me was my little smile... But as for you? They have the same eyes, skin, hair, and even a little bit of that maternal temper you, Haru, and Ivanka carry."

That is a strange phenomenon.

Perhaps it explains why Haru looks so identical.

"Don't worry about it too much, Love. They are yours as much they are mine, you know this better than anyone! They inherited your calm nature, after all."

He laughed a little.

"Haha! Oh, you know what I meant. It's just... I want what's best for them. Guess I found out what every father goes through. But I will try my best to give them the love and care they need, all the while trying to respect their privacy..."

Those are the usual idealistic views my husband loves.

"It will come in its own time. Don't you worry."

As we continued to look at our daughter's play, my husband looked at me.

"Hey, Yuri... Do you remember what the book said, back when we were kids?"

I nodded.

"Of course. Why?"

He then turned to where our daughters were playing.

"(And with our love... We will continue on to the next day, warmed by each other's presence...) He started to recite. "(Only then, the doors of the promised land would finally open...) I think I finally understand what this means."

I looked at him expectantly.

"As long as we love each other... we will make it to the next day. And if we make it to the next day... we will make it. Look at where we are. We loved each other and finally made it..."

I pondered from his words before smiling.

To respond to him, I leaned in and gave him a brief kiss.

"Looks like you liked my take on the quote we read all that time ago."

My smile was still as bright as ever.

"Of course... It was beautiful. How it all related to us... I loved it."

He rested his head on my lap and gazed at our daughters and garden.

"Not as much as I love you," Val said, turning to me. "I love you so much."

I leaned in and gave him another kiss.

"As do I... I love you soooo much too!"

And so, we looked towards the future.


	11. Pink (Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

**(Takes place right around the end of Remember Me PT2)**

* * *

I yawned and stretched, apparently feeling a lot better now that I had spoken to Monika a little more.

The world seems a little brighter and much more vibrant compared to what it was before.

And yet, it felt different in a weird way. It was as if this wasn't my world, to begin with, and I was taking another route in life.

So, one person can make this much of a change?

Is this how much I missed her?

Jeez…

I looked towards the clock and saw that I was up pretty early.

Weird, I don't feel tired at all.

I feel excited to start the day!

With this new mindset, I jumped out of bed and went inside my bathroom to wash up.

I stared at the bathroom mirror, staring at the man on it.

His steely onyx eyes pierced mine as I did the same to him.

That's me…

Then why does he look so… different?

It's as if I don't even recognize myself.

I chalked it up being some morning drowsiness that hasn't really faded quite yet and continued with my morning.

Once I was done with washing up, I exited the bathroom and put on my uniform.

Since I had some time to burn, I made breakfast for Mike and me, as well as some lunch to take to school.

I took my time eating my breakfast and sipped on some orange juice while waiting for Mike to wake up.

Huh, maybe I should wake up like this more often.

As I took a sip from my juice, an article caught my eye.

"Anomalous Effects Manifesting In Everyday Lives."

Anomalous?

What is this, some parallel reality where horrifying entities exist in the real world and are contained by a secret organization?

The next article almost made me drop my phone.

What the…

"Alternate Realities Theory Now Plausible."

I shook my head to read the article better.

Wait, wait, why am I so interested in Quantum Physics and parallel universes?

That isn't my jazz.

I finished up the rest of my breakfast and started to get ready for class.

"Bro? Is that you?" Mike drowsily called, with sleep in his eyes. "Did you make some breakfast?"

I continued to put my shoes as he stumbled about something routine for a while now.

"Wash up. And yeah I did make some breakfast, alongside with some lunch to take to school. I just had a very productive morning, you know?" I replied, now putting on a dress shirt.

He mumbled something and went back to his room to wash up.

Some habits are hard to kick, huh, little brother?

"Mike! I am out!" I yelled, letting him know, now taking a step outside.

Immediately after, I realized how sunny it was.

Right, it's the start of Summer.

Summer vacation is right around the corner.

I might need to take off the shirt when I get to school.

My eyes glanced over to Monika's house.

Did she go early?

Or is she asleep?

…

Maybe I should get a move on.

She'll make it on her terms, and I should give her more time to adjust back home.

With that, I started walking to school in a rather brisk pace.

I looked around the scenery as I walked, admiring the blooming cherry blossom trees around me.

It's always beautiful at this time of year, eh?

Winter is always there to take it away, though.

Maybe this time I can care more about the light pink color of the petals.

The word "pink" made me slow my pace.

Pink?

Why is that word so…

Weird?

I feel some weird deja vu coming from that word…

"Hey!"

Pink?

What does pink have to do with anything right now?

"Hey! Baka!"

The only color I can associate pink with right now is…

Who was it again?

"For goodness sake!"

*SMACK*

I felt a slight stinging sensation on the back of my head.

And immediately after, I turned around with a small glare.

"What the Hell, Natsuki?!" I yelled, a bit annoyed.

Wait, Natsuki?!

The girl grinned when she realized her plan worked.

"Finally! I was trying to get your attention, moron!" The girl cheerily gloated.

I rubbed the back of my head and continued to glare at the petite pink girl.

"By hitting me at the back of the head?! What is this? A shitty manga?" I exclaimed, somewhat annoyed from the sudden smack.

She shrugged.

"Sure, why not? Let's pretend we are in a 'shitty manga.'" Natsuki teased. "Besides, that's a little revenge for not answering my texts."

I rolled my eyes.

"My bad, I was swamped last night. And also just don't hit me like that again, it's messed up to do so."

Once I finished rubbing my head, I looked towards her.

"Anyway, how's it going? I didn't know you would be taking this route to school." I questioned.

Her pink eyes shone a little when I asked her about the route.

"I used to take this route when I went over for some extra summer classes a few years ago. Dokisai used to offer those classes to me a lot so that I would take advantage of them." She answered.

So she used this route too, huh?

"That's interesting. So you took summer classes? For what?" I asked.

Natsuki shrugged again.

"Well, I took them because I was bored back then. There wasn't a lot to do back home, so I figured I might go someplace else besides staying at home all day." She casually said.

Holy moly, cause she was bored?!

No wonder she got a recommendation to Ainu!

"But, hehe… that was before I got into manga. Once I found out Parfait Girls existed, my life turned upside down!" She proudly declared.

I looked at the girl with mild bafflement.

That's…

That's nothing to be proud of.

"You think that finding out manga exists is an achievement for you." I snarkily replied.

Within an instant, she snapped her head to me with a frown.

"Watch it! Manga is important to me!" She snapped.

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Okay…?" I mumbled, now even more baffled by her behavior.

She crossed her arms and looked ahead.

"It made a significant impact on my life, alright? It's a form of literature that I can never get enough of." Natsuki calmly added.

Note to self. Manga seems to be a touchy subject around her.

It's hard not to tease her about all that anyway...

"Anyway…" She muttered while taking out something from her bag.

I carefully eyed at what she was taking out.

The object was a rather large circular shaped disc, wrapped in a plastic cover with a pink ribbon to hold it in.

Is that… a cookie?

Wow! That has to be one expensive cookie!

"Here." She muttered while handing this to me.

Natsuki's face was strangely pink as she offered the giant cookie to me.

"Wha-? Wait, Natsuki I can't accept this!" I exclaimed, prompting her to look up with a distressed look.

Great!

Excellent choice of words, me!

"W-What do you mean?" She murmured, her words fading into nothingness.

Shit, I need to fix this.

"I meant that this cookie must cost a lot, right? I can't take something like this; it's just not right." I explained.

The pained expression she had was relieved as she let out a small sigh.

"Oh thank goodness…" She whispered under her breath.

All of a sudden, her eyes shot up with a pink blush highlighting her cheeks.

"I-I-I mean! I made this! So it didn't cost anything!" She sputtered.

What…?

"Wait a minute. You made this for me? This huge cookie is for me?" I asked slowly.

Her flush grew worse as she nodded.

I smiled and took the cookie from her.

"Thanks, I have a good feeling that this cookie will be great. Especially since you did so great with the cupcakes." I thanked, marveling at the size and amount of chocolate chips.

She crossed her arms and turned away from me.

"Hmph! It's not like I made this for you or anything! This is mainly for saying I was sorry about my behavior yesterday!" Natsuki managed to say despite the blood visibly rushing to her face.

Did she…

Did she just do the classic tsundere quote on me?

As I tried to read her actions, Natsuki nervously glanced towards me and the cookie, as if expecting an answer from me.

Say something!

"Oh, right! It's cool, Natsuki! You're cool! I forgive you!" I forgave without putting much thought into what I said.

Her nervous expression turned into mild confusion before shaking her head.

"Look, I considered Yuri's word, and I realized I was way too hard on you than I should have been! So I made you this cookie to make amends. Do you get what am I trying to say here?" She explained.

I nodded slowly.

"Good! Now let's get a move on. We're gonna be late to class!" She exclaimed now taking my hand.

I felt my face burn as she took my hand.

Wait!

Wait!

There's so much going on here!

Since when did Natsuki take my hand and-

"Here goes!" She yelled, before bolting to school with a speed that rivals Monika.

The smaller girl yanked my hand, and I was failing to keep up with her.

Within seconds, we made it to the front of the school, with releasing my hand.

She…

Held my hand?

Natsuki wasn't given any visual signs she was embarrassed. Instead, she adopted her classic stance of crossing her arms.

Why did that feel so weird?

Hmm, I did hold hands with Monika back then.

But we did it all the time, so it doesn't phase me at all.

With Natsuki, it's a different case…

Argh, what am I doing?!

I checked the time on my phone and put it away.

Wow, we were going to be late.

Natsuki was right!

"Thanks for saving my hide, Natsuki. I wasn't paying attention to the time!"

She waved off my compliment.

"Nah, it's my fault really. Especially since I was the one who dragged the conversation for longer than it should." Natsuki assured.

Huh, a girl that steps up and takes the blame.

Now that's awesome.

I gave her a sly smirk from her bluff.

"Alright, if you say so. I'll see you later, Natsuki."

She smirked back and walked off.

"Yeah, see ya, Val!"

* * *

Lots of weird things have been happening recently.

Besides my little crush on Val, I have been having the strangest feeling of deja vu.

I texted Monika earlier in the morning about what the plan is for the Winter Festival.

It's definitely not because I wanted to know what Val was doing!

But then I realized we are at the start of summer.

So that means the summer festival…

Texting her about the summer festival just made her confused.

She responded by saying she had no idea what I was talking about.

…

I could have sworn that Monika and Val agreed to volunteer in the Committee to save the club.

But apparently joining the Committee is just "extra work" on top of club meetings.

What's going on?

Maybe all this is happening because of a weird dream I had last night…

Eating a bit too much tofu could have made me go bonkers.

That has to be it!

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Anyway, I need to get to class.

Maybe this time I can get some peace, so I continue drawing my manga.

As I walked in, I noticed Tom talking with Sayori next to her desk.

Sayori did talk a lot about this Tom guy while we were going home.

It's so obvious that she has a crush on the guy.

And I kind of find that cute actually.

Whenever Tom is around, it's like an extra light bulb turns on inside of her.

...

Oh! This is perfect for my manga!

I took out my notebook and started sketching the two talking to each other.

My eyes darted between them and my notebook as I continued to sketch.

"Sayori, I really need to head to class. I will see you later." Tom said as he tried to leave.

However, the bouncy girl was having none of it and kept tugging his sleeve.

"Come on! There's still a little bit of time left! Sit down with me!" She pleaded.

This continued until the bell rang to which Sayori jumped up and kissed Tom on the cheek.

...

Perfect!

This is so cute!

I quickly drew the kiss scene they both had into the notebook, while Tom tried to shake off the effects of it.

The kiss was sweet enough that I sighed dreamily.

In my head were thoughts of trying out these tropes with a certain boy.

Now, if I can do that to Val…

But I knew better.

I mentally slapped myself from that strange thought.

Argh!

That won't happen!

I frowned from how defeated I was on having a chance to compete.

My crush on Val is hopeless…

I have a good feeling that Monika is going to win the race for him.

Either that or Yuri'll take him away.

And I'm going to get left behind the dust as always.

…

I sighed once more, except this time with melancholy.

Why do I have to be the one that's so undeveloped?

Everyone in the group has a bigger chest than me, and it's really getting on my...

I clutched my heart from the pain.

Nerves…

No, it doesn't get on my nerves.

I'm just jealous.

I'm jealous of Sayori's happy-go-lucky nature, Yuri's perfect body, and Monika's charm.

Meanwhile, I have nothing.

Hell, I think Sayori has a better chance of being with the moron than I do.

There was some chatter coming from the exits of the classroom, to which I turned to.

My face warmed up when I saw him.

And there he is.

One of the hottest and yet the dorkiest guy in Dokisai.

Val.

My mind rushed to the events of yesterday.

* * *

I know this route like the back of my hand.

Nothing's changed in the last couple of years.

Okay, maybe the fact that I am older and there are new buildings everywhere, but still!

It's good to be back.

I hope Dokisai has some of that bread I always ate during summer classes.

Compared to Ainu Academy, the bread here is-

*THUD*

What the Hell?!

To my right was a guy on the verge of collapsing onto me, but luckily we were able to catch our balance.

This guy…

The first thing that caught my eye was his familiar onyx eyes.

He is…

I gave him once over, quickly checking him out.

Hot.

Wait a minute!

That guy was about to fall on top of me!

"Hey! Watch where you are going, baka!" I yelled, angered that he was close to pushing me.

I am not going to punch him or anything, but like, showing some aggressiveness is an order.

"Sorry!" The guy yelled, now running to class.

Maybe a little more aggression is needed…

"Sorry?!" I yelled back, hoping he can hear me. "Is that all he had to say?! Ay?! Uuuu! He hasa some nerve! If he was still for justa minute, I woulda clobbered him into oblivion!"

Ugh, even when faking my anger, my accent still slips out!

I felt a slight tap on my shoulder, to which I snapped.

"Whaddaya want?!" I barked, without realizing it.

I immediately recognized the long brown hair and emerald green eyes.

Monika?

Oh no!

She flinched from my snap.

"Uh… Oh, hey, Monika! Hehe… Sorry about that!" I apologized.

His face flashed for a second in my head, causing me to be flustered.

Fortunately, she didn't notice.

I should add a reason as to why I got so angry…

"Some guy was about to fall on me," I said, albeit awkwardly.

Monika couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, seemingly worried about my behavior.

Great!

Now she thinks I am going through something!

Quick, I need to distract her!

Before she could ask what's wrong, I interrupted her.

"How are you doing? You know… since you hate planes?" I quickly asked, hopefully distracting her from my thoughts.

My eyes darted all across her face, hoping that she wouldn't press me about what happened a few moments ago.

Fortunately, Monika sighed and gave up.

"Hello, Natsuki." She greeted back. "And to answer your question, I guess I am feeling a bit better. Maybe with age, my resistance to jet-lag gets better."

I smiled at how positive she was feeling.

We began to discuss abstract things to pass the time on our commute.

There was a sudden lull in our conversation, as we didn't know how to proceed.

Throughout the conversation, I couldn't help but think about the guy who was close to trampling me.

I was going to ask if that guy can join, but I decided not to.

**Wait, that's not how I remember that…**

"Now that I think about it, that guy was pretty hot. And not to mention that he looked like he goes to the gym. I know he isn't a bodybuilder or anything, but wow… it's attractive." I swooned.

Monika eyed me strangely and didn't really say anything.

She looked at me as if I was a threat to her, despite not knowing him.

Wait a minute…

If she's looking at me like that, then does that mean that guy is…

Val?

The guy she had a crush on for a while now?!

…

Why does that name sound so familiar?

It didn't ring a bell to me when I was in Ainu, but now that I am back, it's giving me some weird vibes.

"Oh, why don't you look at! We're here!" Monika abruptly announced, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Huh?

Already?

I looked up to see that we were actually at the entrance to Dokisai.

Well, whaddya know.

We are here.

"I'll meet you at the auditorium Natsuki, I have some things that I need to put away," Monika stated, before quickly walking off into the crowd.

Great, now I'm alone.

Oh well, I guess I'll go to the auditorium.

I went there already, so I know where it is.

Maybe that guy will be there…

Argh!

Snap out of it me, all I have been doing is just drooling over him!

I made it to the auditorium without much of a hassle, especially since the school hasn't changed in the last four years.

Strangely enough, Monika was there much earlier than expected and was sitting along with the other girls.

I thought she was putting things away in her locker…

She even went the other way to her locker as well.

This is getting weird.

I went up to the stairs and took my seat next to the girls.

Hmm, I wonder if Val is here…

Considering that he IS Val and not some random guy.

I looked over to my right to see the same guy walking over to his friends to greet them.

That has to be him!

I also noticed that Sayori was looking at the same direction I was, but instead, I was on one particular person.

Sayori did say she was looking forward to meeting Tom, and given the description, he has to be an American.

The guy who bumped into me looked American too…

Monika did mention that Val was from the States, so that means…

Ahah!

I knew it!

So it was him all along!

But wait, why does he look so familiar?

It's like I have seen him before.

No, it can't be.

I never met him before, so what's up with this feeling?

But his black eyes…

I could have sworn I saw them when I was younger.

An image of a young boy flashed in my head.

W-What?

Who was that kid?

Argh!

I feel like I'm cooking my head!

Whatever, I am going to take the time to check him out a little more.

Val slowly turned to the side, to which I quickly turned my head away from him.

This continued for a while when I heard Monika gasp.

"Monika? Is there something wrong?" I whispered, before looking at the direction she was staring at.

On the other side of the auditorium, Val was staring at us, no, at Monika.

They quickly looked away from each other, right after that.

It was there that I realized something was going on between the two.

They…

They're childhood sweethearts, aren't they?

Once they finished looking at each other, I looked down and closed my eyes.

Of course, I don't deserve someone as hot as him.

But…

I looked up to him with a small smile.

That won't stop me from checking him out.

* * *

And I'm still drooling over him right now!

Not in the physical sense, but also the emotional touch…

Or whatever that is.

My eyes wandered off to the window, instead of paying attention to class.

It hurts knowing that other, more attractive girls are after him.

But still…

I smiled.

It's good to dream about it now and then...

And who knows?

Maybe, just maybe, he might notice me.

* * *

It was now after school.

There weren't any club meetings today, so I was free for the day.

Hmm…

What to do today?

Rest a little more and let my sore muscles heal?

Or should I just play some video games when I get home?

Ugh, the new games are all coming out later this year, so I'll be bored quick.

But I can't wait for the new BOOM game to come out!

The visuals, the gameplay, and story are so crisp and ready to be explored!

"Um… Valkyrie?" I heard a faint voice call behind me.

I turned around to see a purple haired girl, nervously playing with her hair.

Yuri…

"Oh, hey, Yuri. What's up?" I greeted with a warm smile, hoping that she would loosen up.

Unfortunately, it made her fidgeting worse.

"I-I-I'm fine! H-How are you?" She asked, now looking away.

Weird, I could have sworn that she was a lot more confident yesterday.

What's up with her now?

I should probably ask.

"Is there something wrong, Yuri?" I asked.

She started to blush and now wringing her fingers.

"Well… I was hoping you can join our swimming club." She whispered.

The what?

"I'm sorry, Yuri. What was that?" I asked, now leaning in.

Her blush grew worse.

"Eh?!" She squeaked, before taking a couple of steps back.

I couldn't help but raise a brow.

What's making her so nervous?

"I-It's nothing! I'll talk to you later!" The girl exclaimed, before dashing off.

If I could create matter, there would be three question marks on top of my head.

What was that all about?

I have no idea what ticked her off!

Realizing that there wasn't much I could have done, I sighed.

She did say she would talk to me later.

Maybe then I can ask her what was up with her.

I continued my walk back to my locker.

Let's see here…

…

There's nothing for me to see or do!

Argh, this is boring!

Hiro is in the guitar club, while Dan's in the debate club, and Tom's probably hanging out with Sayori and catching up!

…

Ahah!

Maybe I can ask Monika to catch up!

I pulled out my phone and scrolled to Monika's text bubble.

It was there that I immediately regretted my choice as I saw all the texts I sent to her before she left.

My heart throbbed as I stared at the messages I sent to her in desperation for her to come back.

And then all of a sudden, my phone died out on me.

What the Hell?!

I pressed the unlock button to which nothing.

How did this happen?

All I was doing was scrolling over some old texts!

I tried holding on the unlock button to boot it up, but it did nothing.

My phone was at 86%, how it did it die out on me?

After a while of trying to get my phone to start up, I gave up.

Whatever, I guess.

I'll fix it once I get home.

I put my dead phone into my pocket and started to walk home.

On my way to the exit, I noticed that the library was mysteriously still open.

Huh?

Is the library still open in this hour?

Hmm, to be fair… I think it's open 24/7 but no service during the night.

Still though, who would be at the library at this hour?

I walked in and looked around.

There was nothing out of the ordinary, and so I just kept walking about.

Maybe I can burn some time while I am here.

But what I am going to do? Read?

…

Well, no, shit!

My pointless thoughts came to an abrupt halt when I noticed some scribbling sounds nearby.

Is someone drawing?

Wait that could mean one thing!

Vandalism!

I crouched a little and moved as discreetly as possible, making sure that my footsteps weren't audible against the hard wooden floor.

As I drew closer to the scribbling, I pressed myself against a shelf and peered in on who was making the noises.

My eyes searched the sitting areas and saw a familiar pink-haired girl.

Huh?

Is that…

Natsuki?!

What's she doing here at this hour?

And what exactly is she doing with that pen…?

I focused my gaze at whatever she was writing and saw some faint figures on the paper.

It's hard to see what is she doing, so I need to get closer.

Natsuki's pink eyes never left the notebook as she dribbled on.

And so, I moved in closer to have a better view of what she was doing.

I focused on how her little hand moved up and down on paper, striding through it all as easy as if it were water.

Natsuki can draw?

Now that's impressive.

She didn't bother to move her head up as I kept moving towards her.

Aw, come on.

I know I am not that stealthy!

How does she not see me already?

Once I finally have gotten close, I looked towards whatever she was drawing on.

What the…

I leaned in closer, to which I was secretly surprised as to how she still didn't notice me.

Robes, armor, weapons…

And…

Catgirls in maid outfits?!

This is a full-blown manga!

Wow, Natsuki can actually draw Manga?

I examined the design of the characters and weapons, amazed with how much detail was packed into one exact item.

From what I can gather this manga is a combination of… slice-of-life, fantasy, adventure, and romcom?

I recoiled a little from the strange concoction of genres.

This sounds like a lot like Parfait Girls.

What's up with that?

And who's the protagonist?

My eyes searched for the main character of the manga but to no avail.

For all I know, the main character can just be a guy that is ridiculously handsome and cool.

There was one character that fit the bill in the manga, however.

Ah, there we go.

It looks like he has an aura of "coolness" around him, black hair, given the intensity of the shade, pretty lean but a built physique, similar to mine, and…

My eyes widened at who the character resembled.

"Wait, is that me?" I asked, vocalizing my thoughts.

Oh, fuck!

Natsuki awoke from her drawing trance and jumped up from her seat.

"Eh?! V-V-Val?! What are you doing here?!" She yelled in complete bewilderment.

Yeah…

What exactly am I doing here?

Now's not the best time to be a smart-ass, me!

"I um… uh, I can ex-" I fruitlessly tried to cover up.

But Natsuki was having none of it, as she dove in and covered the manga from me.

"D-D-Did you look?" She sputtered, her face now turning red.

Shit, how do I reply to that?!

"Oh yeah, I did! That guy you drew looks a lot like me!"

Or…

"Nah, I didn't. I was here because I like staring at you!"

…

Damn it, me!

Neither of these is good options!

Natsuki squeezed her eyes shut and started to quiver.

"I-I said… DIDYA YOU SEE?!" She screamed, her voice now starting to sound shaky.

…

That pulled me out of my indecisiveness.

With a sigh, I bowed.

"Yes, I did. I am sorry for looking at your art without asking for your permission." I apologized.

Damn it, me! This isn't good enough.

I went on my knees and bowed once more.

"Natsuki, I know I just invaded your privacy, and I regret it. If there is anything you want in exchange, tell me."

That's a bit too much, but I guess this works.

I waited patiently for her to catch her composure and breath.

"I want you..." She mumbled.

My eyes opened up at what she was saying, and I couldn't help but stare at her with complete bewilderment.

Natsuki was looking away, her arms crossed, along with flushed cheeks.

S-S-She wants me?!

But I don't think I see her that way…

I think I need a little more-

"...I want you to help me." She clarified, relieving the tension.

Oh, thank goodness.

…

Hey, wait a minute!

Am I not good enough for you?!

"I want you to help me with my manga; you wash out."

What?

How am I going to help her with a manga?

I can't draw for shit!

I'm so bad, that whenever I draw a stick figure, people think I just made some sort of unique signature!

"Umm… sure! But I can't draw." I accepted while listing my weakness.

Natsuki glimpsed at me but quickly looked away to avoid my gaze.

"I wasn't planning to let you draw. I want ya to help me understand some concepts in both anime and manga." She elaborated with a snarky smile.

Oh…

Oh yeah, that makes sense.

…

No, it doesn't!

I barely know anything about anime and manga!

The only anime I watched was Parfait Girls with Monika, but that's pretty much it!

Not that I have a problem with it or anything.

Maybe besides the bright colors that would make anyone a person with epilepsy would cause them to have a seizure, I am okay with it!

"Natsuki, I uh… I don't know a lot about anime or manga." I pathetically added.

The pink-haired girl sighed.

"You baka, I am going to test some tropes on you. You're gonna be my training dummy! Jeez, you have lived here all your life, and ya have no idea what our prized accomplishments are? What are ya? A damn American?" She finally revealed.

Ok yeah, that makes a lot more sense.

I nodded at what she was saying.

"Alright, sheesh, no need to insult my home country. And just so you know, there are some Americans that take anime and manga to a whole new level. Look, if that makes you happy, then I will do it for you." I declared.

Looking at her manga seems to be a susceptible spot that I unintentionally hit.

Damn it, me!

Peering in while she is pouring her heart and soul into her manga!

I don't deserve to be in the same room as her right now…

"I am sorry, Natsuki. I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you like that and-"

She groaned and winded her hand up a bit.

*SMACK*

My head turned to the side from the impact of the slap.

"Ow! Hey! What was that for, Nat-"

She put a finger up my lips, preventing me from speaking any further.

"You're an idiot! I forgive you! Now let's get to work!"

She pulled me up and pushed me down a seat.

This girl is really assertive, isn't she?

Some lesser guy would have returned the favor, but I actually kind of like how audacious she is.

Ugh, that sounds masochistic.

My left cheek still stung from the slap she gave me.

"Ugh, alright. So what's the one thing you really wanted to test out on me?" I said, rubbing my cheek.

Wow, that sounds wrong.

Natsuki tapped her chin in thought.

"Hmm, let's see… Now that I think about it, I don't know what we can start with… They are too embarrassing, really. Maybe I am having second thoughts about all this." She pondered.

That didn't fly well with me.

I slammed my hand on the table and leaned in.

"Natsuki, I don't care if it's embarrassing or not. I want to help you, okay?"

The startled girl looked at my hand and back at me.

She then regained her composure and turned away from me.

"If you want to help that much, then fine! We can start with the kabedon!" She offered.

The what?

I looked up to her with some confusion, to which she blushed and looked away.

"U-Unless if you want to do something else." She muttered.

Well, I don't know what that is, so I guess it won't hurt.

What's the worst that can happen?

"Sure, why not." I agreed calmly.

Natsuki's face blew up when I said yes.

"Oh wow… I-I didn't know that you would so aggressive in your first time… just go easy on me, baka."

…

What the fuck did I get myself into?

"Uh… Natsuki, what exactly, is a kabedon?" I asked, hoping that I would learn from the expert herself.

Instead of getting a straightforward explanation, she took out her phone and showed me what it was.

But I was having none of that.

"Nat, I would rather have an explanation from you, rather than a website telling me what it is. That way you can tell me what you want." I explained, moving her hand away from me.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut and shook.

"Urgh… Alright! So that you know this is going to be embarrassing for me to explain!" She yelled.

I put my hands up to calm her down.

"Got it, got it! Just take a deep breath and go, I won't laugh or anything!" I promised.

She did just that and took a deep breath.

"Okay. So the kabedon is where you push a girl against the wall and whisper some stuff to her."

I nodded and rubbed my chin.

"Whisper some stuff? What do you mean by that?" I asked.

Her cheeks flared up, but this time, she stood her ground.

"I want you to flirt with me, you moron! Whisper some things that'll make any gal blush!" Natsuki further explained.

Got it!

So I put corner a girl and whisper some sweet-nothings to her?

That doesn't sound so hard.

"Wait, am I the girl or you are? Since you never really specified on who-"

Natsuki facepalmed herself and growled at me.

"Do I look like a guy to you?!" She asked.

I took a hard look at Natsuki before coming with a conclusion.

"Well… if you got a little haircut and some clothes, I think you would look the part." I teased.

That caught her ire.

*SMACK*

Okay, yeah…

I deserve that one.

"Look, the point is that you are gonna be doing that to me. I need a good idea and the emotions behind the kabedon so that I can draw it properly. Otherwise, it won't feel right to include it."

I nodded in understanding and got myself excited.

"Alright, alright! Let's do this!" I jumped up, feeling the adrenaline supposedly surging through my veins.

Natsuki took a deep breath and let it out.

"Okay, gimme a sec to get ready."

I did a couple of stretches to warm myself both physically and also mentally.

The pink-haired girl let out one final deep breath and looked at me with stern eyes.

"I'm ready, hit me with your shot."

I replied with a curt nod and walked up to her.

Hmm…

Now I have to put my hand against the wall.

I slammed my hand against the shelf, before realizing that it would knock over all the books from the impact.

Fortunately, I stopped the shelf from tipping over, and sheepishly laughed.

"Ahaha… let's try another place." I suggested.

"Obviously." She agreed with a smirk as if realizing what could have happened before moving to a wall. "Okay, gimme a few seconds."

Once she was done, I slammed my hand against the wall and leaned in.

…

This is a lot more underwhelming than I thought it would be.

"Hey moron, what are ya staring at?" She barked below me.

I looked down to see Natsuki looking up to me as if struggling to look up to me.

We were in an awkward position where I put my hand far above Natsuki's head.

Right, she is shorter than most girls.

"Uh… my fault. Let's try this again, and third time's a charm. This time I won't mess up." I stated, backing away from the petite girl.

Natsuki sighed.

"It's okay, I guess. You never heard of the concept until now, so it's nothing to beat yourself over." She comforted with a small smile.

I smiled back, feeling a lot more enthusiastic than before.

"I am ready," I said, now looking at her pink eyes.

The girl flinched a little from my statement and started to take deep breaths.

"You better not mess this-"

However, I didn't give her the chance to get ready as I slammed my hand onto the wall without warning.

Natsuki yelped at the sudden impact and searched my face for an answer.

"W-Wait! I am not-"

As if it were second nature, I leaned in with a smirk, causing her to fidget uncontrollably.

"Um, uh, er, Val I'm not-" She incoherently mumbled.

Whisper sweet-nothings to her.

"Shhh… I am just admiring the beauty from here." I confidently whispered, causing her to fidget even more so than before.

Natsuki attempted to regain her composure by looking away, but I was having none of it.

With my free hand, I pulled her chin upwards and forced her to look at my eyes.

"You know, I like it when you're nervous. It makes you look adorable." I complimented.

I caught myself there.

Whoa, whoa, whoa me!

How far am I taking this?!

"Y-Y-You think I am cute…?" She muttered.

I smirk grew into a cunning smile as I leaned into her ear.

"(Yeah… you're cute)," I whispered in English.

…

…

…

AH, SHIT!

YEAH, I AM BACKING AWAY.

Seriously, what the Hell am I even saying?!

I took a couple of steps back from Natsuki to give her some space.

"So, how was that?" I mumbled, hoping that she would break out of her trance.

Instead of getting a response, Natsuki was still in the same spot, as if frozen in place.

Her legs started to wobble, and I noticed she was about to flail to get her balance back.

Without a second's thought, I dashed in and caught her in my arms.

* * *

He said I was cute…

Val said I was cute…

Not only that, he said it in English too…

That was so hot.

Hnnnnnngh.

"Natsuki!" A voice called.

Go away. Let me have this moment.

"Natsuki!"

Argh, fuck off!

"Wake up!"

I don't want to! Can't you see that I am swooning over a guy?!

"Natsuki!"

The voice raised my ire, so I woke up from my trance.

"Whaddya want?!" I yelled, my accent now slipping.

Val was mildly surprised at my snap but was relieved when I woke up.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought you fainted." He muttered.

Wait.

Me fainting?

Hah! Like that'll ever happen.

If I didn't know any better, I would think that Yuri would be the one to faint first!

Definitely not me!

"I was starting to think my flirting went a bit overboard. Heck, I don't even know if I was flirting right. So what do you say, Nat?"

My train of thought when I remembered what happened moments ago.

Oh…

So I did faint.

And he did a damn good job at making me faint too.

"You did pretty well!" I stated while crossing my arms.

Wait, how am I even up?

Last I remember, I was on the verge of falling onto the ground.

I shifted around to feel what was holding me in place.

"Ack! Sorry." He apologized while pushing me up.

Wait, did he catch before I fell?

…

How does he do all that?!

Val's a natural at all this!

And to mention, it felt outstanding in his arms.

Damn it! It must have been embarrassing for him to carry such a small girl like that…

But the least I can do is thank him…

"Um… thanks for catching me." I nervously muttered.

He waved it off.

"It's cool, don't worry about it."

…

Now what?!

This is so awkward now!

Now he probably thinks I am weird!

What can I do?

"Hey, Nat." He called.

He even made a nickname for me…

Argh! Snap out of it!

"Did you get anything out of that thing we just did?" Val sweetly asked.

The way he asks how I am it's just so cute!

Give him an answer already!

"W-Well yeah!" I finally answered. "I got all the information I need to help me write my manga!"

He smiled at me.

That smile…

It really makes me feel jittery.

Sure, it looks a bit… dorky, but it's so genuine.

"That's good to know. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Argh!

The way he wants to help me is so…

I can't get enough of him!

I put my hands on my hips and smirked.

"Well yeah, there's a lot of concepts that I am going to need your help with. Who said this was a one-time thing? You looked into a lady's secrets, so you're gonna hold on till I say so!"

Val snickered for some reason.

"I wouldn't call you a lady." He remarked under his breath.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?" I warningly asked.

He rolled his eyes.

"It's nothing. You only imagine things. Look, is there anything else you need help with?"

Well, it looks like for the time being I don't think there is anything for us to do.

Especially since we were so close to each other a few minutes ago.

I never thought having the guy that I'm crushing would make me weak in my knees!

No wonder Monika and Yuri are gunning for him!

And maybe, just maybe…

I think I have a chance at landing him as my boyfriend…

My face burned up when I realized what I was thinking.

Bad Natsuki! Bad!

I am thinking way ahead of myself!

I only met him yesterday, and now I want him to be my boyfriend?!

What's wrong with me?!

"Um… Natsuki? Is there something wrong?" He endearingly asked.

I looked up to see him a few feet away from me.

My eyes darted all around his face before I backed away.

"No! There's nothing wrong with me, moron! What's wrong with you?!" I exclaimed.

That's a shitty choice of words, me.

Seriously, now I am a smartass?

"Huh?" Val let out. "I don't think I am in the wrong here. But if I had to guess, it's because of how close I was when I did kabedon that thing. I am sorry."

Jeez, he's so apologetic sometimes.

I kind of like that.

"It's not because of that! I meant…"

"(Yeah… you're so cute.)"

His English…

It's perfect, and it has no accent as we all have.

The words that come out of his lips makes my heart race.

I wish he and I can only speak in that language.

"I meant, what's up with you and English, Russian, and our language? What are you, a multilingual?" I questioned, covering up my hiccup.

He was taken a bit off-guard but smiled.

"Nah, I am trilingual. I speak our language, English, and Russian. I spoke English when I was back in the States, Russian whenever my mom visited her parents, and this language cause, you know… the country speaks it." He explained.

I stared at him in awe.

"So you know fluent English, huh? Well, why don't you teach me some? English is my weakest subject, and I wouldn't mind some help, y'know."

Val was again a bit baffled but regained his composure, with some difficulty.

"Wait, so you want me to teach you some English? I can speak, write, and read it fluently, but I don't know about teaching it." He muttered, feeling unsure about himself.

I really, really want him to speak it in front of me.

It's so hot.

"Aw come on! It won't be that bad! I am sure it will be fine!" I assured, hoping that would make him budge.

It, unfortunately, didn't.

"Nat, I want to let you know that I am not the best at teaching. In Calculus, whenever I get the answer correct and with the proper work shown, I don't explain a whole lot of it. It's something that clicks to me, and I am unable to teach it to others." He stated.

I am not giving up just yet!

This can be my only chance at winning him over!

Hopefully…

Maybe this time I can actually win something.

"But we're talking about a language, Val! This is something completely different than just math! You can explain something in our language and then translate it to English!" I countered. "It… can't be that bad, right?"

Val pursed his lips and looked away.

"Please? I know we haven't known each for that long, but I… I kinda want to get you to know you better." I begged.

It's hopeless.

I know that he's going to say no.

Why would a guy like him want to hang out with me?

From his perspective, he must think that I'm a total bitch and have nothing to offer.

I wouldn't blame him if we were to be friends that only speak now and then.

And besides, he would forget about me when he hangs out with Monika and Yuri…

So what's the point?

I should stop pressing him at this point.

"Alright." He finally managed to say with a smirk.

W-What?

I looked at with curious eyes.

"If you want to deal with my shitty teaching that much, then fine. I will teach you." He declared.

…

I felt my heartbeat uncontrollably.

No way…

No way.

He said yes.

He actually said yes!

I can't believe it!

Something actually goes my way!

"T-Thank you!"

Without a moment's notice, I crushed him in a hug, to which he let out a yelp.

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy, Nat!"

For once…

I actually could win something.

"Urgh! Nat, you're crushing me!" Val yelled, pushing me off.

I got off him and jumped about excitedly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I chanted, excited about the prospect of spending more time with him.

He chuckled nervously.

"Err, you're welcome. Just try not to crush me next time, alright?"

I wholeheartedly smiled, showing how toothy my smile can be.

"So tell me, Val. What's up with you agreeing to teach me?" I asked.

He blushed a little and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well… I find your determination very admirable. It reminds me of how Monika is determined to anything once she puts her mind to it." He explained.

My smile soured once he mentioned his childhood sweetheart.

"Hey, don't get me wrong. You show how bouncy and adorable you are when you put your mind into it. And that's… something I want to see more of. If you don't mind."

I hugged him again.

"You're the best, Val!"

He only replied with headpats.

* * *

It was getting late, so I figured that we should walk home together.

At first, Natsuki gave her classy: "It's not like I want you to walk with me or anything.", but then agreed when I hit her with a: "Alright, you don't have to."

As we exited the school, I noticed the surrounding area was bathed in orange light.

Sunset already, huh?

I heard her sigh as we took in our surroundings.

"I love sunsets. They look perfect for anything, from walking to confessing..." She dreamily said.

With an arched eyebrow, I looked towards her.

Her eyes widened as her face flared up.

"I-I meant it in terms of anime, of course, baka! I wasn't going to confess to you, or anything!"

I blinked a couple of times before looking ahead of us.

"Right… so anyway, what's with your obsession with manga? You treat it as if it saved your life or something. I know you were bored back then, but there has to be more to it, right?" I asked awkwardly, trying to move the conversation along.

Ack!

This was a bad idea!

I'm pressing her for more details about her personal life!

"Yeah, there is. Sure, manga as a whole didn't save my life but… It reminds me of someone that kept close to my heart." She cryptically answered.

Someone she kept close to heart?

Hmm…

Am I guessing a sweetheart or something?

"Jeez, I never thought that would come out so… mysterious and stuff. It's making me sound like Yuri!" Natsuki commented right after.

Ah, that reminds me of how Yuri is doing.

She freaked out when she wanted me to join the swimming club.

Or at least that's what she wanted.

"Hey, Val."

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if I throw ya a curveball?" She asked while rubbing her arm.

I shrugged.

"Shoot me."

Natsuki rubbing grew worse.

"Well… um… wow, I never thought this would be so hard to ask. But… what do you think about Yuri?" She questioned her cheeks now bright pink.

Huh?

What do I think about Yuri?

W̶e̶r̶e̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶i̶l̶d̶h̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶?̶

The Hell did that come from?!

"Yuri, huh?" I muttered, pondering on what I should say. "If I were honest, she is pretty and refined. Did she ever mention she has a boyfriend?"

"Yes, she does!" Natsuki quickly answered before frowning. "No… she doesn't. For a girl so gorgeous, I thought she would have a boyfriend by now."

Why did she even say she has one?

That's a bit suspicious.

"Is that so? Well, yeah. She is kind, quiet, and brilliant. If I was ever in an argument with her, there is no hope that I would win when she gives her all. I am also surprised that she doesn't have a guy gunning for her right about now." I added truthfully.

A few moments passed when I answered Natsuki's question, so I looked towards her.

She looked somewhat conflicted and turned towards me.

But in an instant, she looked away with flushed cheeks.

"W-W-Well you better not be hers, or else. She deserves someone better!"

Oh come on, that was a low blow!

I gave Natsuki a glare to which she flinched a little.

"I-I mean, you might be worthy, but-but just don't be hers, okay?!" She yelled with a red face.

I backed a little from her outburst.

"Alright, alright! I won't! I don't think I had any intentions of having her as my girlfriend, Nat! Jeez…" I assured.

She let out a sigh that sounded like a mix of relief and sadness.

It's my turn to throw a curveball.

"Since you threw a curveball, then I get to throw one too!"

She crossed her arms and looked ahead.

"Fine, I guess that's fair."

You're damn right it is!

"Okay so, when I went into the library and saw you drawing… I want to ask what exactly were you drawing? I know it's your manga and all, but what's the big idea?"

Without much of a warning, Natsuki landed a punch on my arm.

"Ow!" She yelped in pain before grabbing her fist.

Did…

Did she try to punch me?!

"Natsuki, I'm sorry to say, but did you **try** to punch me? I literally didn't do anything wrong!" I asked, a little baffled with the random attack.

She kept rubbing her affected hand and blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, it's because that's something super private! You have no right to ask me that!"

I scoffed at her in total disbelief.

"Oooh, hypocrisy! Civilization's greatest virtue. You had no right to ask me that question about Yuri, and yet I answered it. Just return the favor, alright?"

Natsuki groaned as rubbed her fist again.

Okay, yeah…

I should help out.

"Let me see." I demanded, hoping my 'serious' voice would do something.

And it did.

The girl showed me her hand to which I examined.

She moaned softly when I caressed her hand, to which I blushed a little.

"Nat, can you do me a favor and not make such weird noises?" I asked.

This continues whenever I moved her hand.

However, she pushed me to a breaking point when I pressed lightly on one of her knuckles.

"Mmmm…"

I pulled away and glared at her, my face on fire from her sneak attack.

Instead of giving me a proper answer, she giggled at me.

"Ahaha! The look on your face when I did all that was hilarious! It was so worth it!" She rejoiced.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me…

This was all an elaborate plan to get back at me.

I frowned at her and grunted.

She continued to laugh, only more now because of my disgruntled expression.

But despite it all, I smiled how happy she looked and how bright her smile was.

Her smile…

It's something I really want to protect and cherish.

Something about it makes my heart melt with joy.

Once her laughter died down, I got my fingers ready for something couldn't forget.

"I hope you had a great time laughing your heart out. Now get ready to laugh your soul out!"

With that, I pounced on her, tickling her sides.

She let out a surprised squeal and started laughing once more.

Natsuki tried to counter with her tickling, but I made sure to cover anything would make me the slightest bit ticklish, thus leaving myself closed for any counters.

"Ahahaha! Stop, Val! Stop it!" She begged while laughing.

I smiled at her laughter.

"I'll stop when you're sorry!" I declared as I continued to tickle.

I slowed the pace of my tickling somewhat so she could catch a breather, but still managing to make her laugh.

"Alright! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't ever play you again!" She apologized.

And with that, I stopped my assault.

She put her hands on her knees and caught her breath, still giggling somewhat from the attack.

Once she recovered, she put her hands on her hips and smirked.

"I guess yourself earned an explanation since it was fun to see you all so fired up from all that."

I smirked back at her.

"Well, maybe, I do. Now back to what you were saying." I cockily gloated.

She snickered at my gloat and rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I was making a manga. It's about a girl who finds a machine that sends her into another world controlled by a lonely demon."

There's a demon controlling that world?

Now, why does that sound so familiar and yet so weird?

Ugh, it's probably the deja vu rearing its ugly head again.

"So it's like one of those light fantasy novels or whatever? But with a… sci-fi and supernatural twist? That sounds a lot like BOOM." I commented.

Natsuki tapped her chin in thought.

"Hmm, now that I think about it… it does sound a lot like BOOM, maybe it was subconsciously influencing me, minus the violence. But my main inspiration is Parfait Girls since it's like the top manga for us girls. Anyway, the girl makes a new life in the world she is trapped in and makes everlasting relationships with other characters while looking for a way out."

Wait, she knows about BOOM?

That game is gory enough to repulse a lot of people.

And the soundtrack…

…

Wow, BOOM isn't consumer-friendly.

"Really now? So what's the point of making these friends if she wants to leave them in the dust?" I inquired, a little confused about the plot.

Her smirk grew into a cunning smile.

It revealed a fang that I never noticed in the first place.

That fang of her looks pretty cute…

"Exactly, eventually when she does find a way out, the girl has to decide whether or not if she wants to stay in the world the demon created, or return to the real world that she knows and loves."

Oooh, this is starting to sound appealing.

"Well, besides the everlasting relationships and all, there isn't much holding her back from leaving right?" I pressed, now interested in the plot.

She giggled a little before standing tall with pride.

"There is! Recently that girl started to go on adventures with this guy. And this guy wasn't a pushover! He was confident enough to pin the heroine against a wall and flirt with her!"

Wait, didn't we just do that back at the library?

"The girl started to give some signs that she might like him and the guy might also like her and-"

I put my hand up to stop her.

"Okay, okay! I get it. So she has to choose between love in the fake world and love for her family in the real world?" I asked to make sure.

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! That sounds pretty smart, right?" Natsuki bounced about, similar to how Sayori would be around Tom.

I smirked at her burst of energy.

"Well yeah, it's smart. But I have to ask, where did the guy come from? Don't get me wrong. I thought a guy that a girl would crush on is supposed to come early in the story. Putting him in the middle of the story would switch things up for the worse, don't you think?" I commented, a bit put off from the character.

She shrugged.

"I guess it is, but I drew so much that I can't go back now. So that's where you come in. By helping me add all those anime concepts into my manga, the romance can maybe make a strong appearance."

Uh…

I don't know about that, but it's worth a try, right?

"If you say so. Look, in any case, I am hooked with the story and your art style, Nat."

She blushed in embarrassment as her eyes shone with hope.

"R-Really? You mean it?" She asked breathlessly.

I nodded curtly.

"Yep, I mean it." I declared.

Without warning, she tackled me into another bone-crushing hug.

"Hrrk! Nat! You're crushing me!" I yelled while trying to get the petite girl off of me.

She nonetheless kept hugging me.

"You're a nice person. Do you know that? Thank you, Val!"

At this point, I was struggling to swallow air and stay alive.

How does a girl of this size have so much strength?!

"It's not a problem… now can you please stop hugging me?!"

This time Natsuki complied and got off my chest.

"I only got off since you said please, baka." She teased while walking ahead.

With a couple of steps, I caught up.

The area we were in now was rather middle class, but also somewhat upper-class enough that Monika and I didn't qualify.

This looks like a nice neighborhood from the looks of it…

It wasn't long before Natsuki started to slow her pace.

We kept walking until I needed to head to the other direction to head home.

"I guess this is where we part ways, huh?"

Natsuki sighed.

"Yeah… I kind of wish we had a little bit more time."

I put my hand on her pink head.

"Don't worry. We can continue our conversation tomorrow. For now, I'll see you around. Alright?"

Her eyes sparkled with joy before she smiled her usual toothy smile.

"Fair enough. I'll see you tomorrow, Val!"

I nodded and started taking a couple of steps back.

"Yup, see you Natsuki."

She closed her eyes and smiled before she turned on her heel and started running home.

Aw shit!

I was going to ask her this question!

"I am thinking about why your new character kind of looks like me. It's a bit strange, don't you think?"

Hmm, maybe that's a question for later.

For now, I am happy that she's a bit more content than before.

Another reason to wake up tomorrow with that mindset from this morning.

I'll be looking forward to the club meeting, Nat.


	12. Manga(Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

As I ran home, I stopped around the corner to calm my thumping heart.

With a couple of breaths, I looked up at the sky and smiled.

Maybe I do have a chance of scoring Val as my boyfriend…

The thought of him being involved with him romantically tickled my heart.

It's all because of him that I am acting like this around him.

He's just so thoughtful, especially during the first club meeting yesterday.

I pressed my back against the wall as soon as I left the club room.

* * *

My heart couldn't catch a break as it kept pounding against my chest.

Once I realized what I exactly, I said to both Thomas and Val.

I'm such an idiot.

My face flared up as I tried to cover them from any students still in the hallway.

"You know, if this meeting were in the morning, I would have gotten pretty annoyed, especially since they are two boys joining the club. Either way, I guess it's a good thing to have more members."

Why did I freak out like that and say something so hurtful to them?!

If it was only Thomas there, I think I wouldn't have said it like at all.

In fact, I don't think I would have minded in the first place.

Somehow, Thomas came in with **him**!

Monika's childhood friend!

The way he smiled at me even after I insulted him…

But given how much he disrespected me back in the courtyard…

I guess he kinda still deserved it?

…

No, he didn't!

Uuuu! I messed up big time!

What do I do now?!

Should I just walk back in and apologize to both of them?

That would be way too awkward, especially since I would be coming back empty-handed.

I massaged my temples to think of a solution.

Come on, Natsuki! Keep it together, girl!

Just apologize to them right as soon as I give the cupcakes back!

That way, they can forgive me!

With a smirk, I walked over to the oven that luckily turned itself off after the baking was complete.

As I took out the cupcakes out of the oven, the smell of sugar and frosting tickled my nose.

That smell means I did it just right!

Both of them have to accept my apology!

…

Especially if I want to smooth things over with Val.

The tray was already cool enough to be carried bare-handed, so I gripped it tightly and ran back to the club room.

With a smile at showing off my baking skills to everybody, I opened the door with confidence.

"I got the cupcakes!" I announced, proudly showcasing the tray in the air.

I was immediately hit with tension and unease in my gut feeling.

Wha-?

Why does it feel so tense in here?

Val was divided in keeping his attention to Monika and to me.

But whenever he glimpsed Monika, he grew more apprehensive.

I immediately grew worried.

"Hey, did something happen between the two of you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Val's strange behavior.

Monika turned around with a weird smile and beamed at me.

"Nope! Nothing happened, Natsuki. Everything is just fine!"

She then turned to Val, to which he subtly grit his teeth.

I don't like where this is going…

Something's off about Monika. It's as if she is incredibly angry and evil right now…

**"Isn't that right, Val?"**

The tone in Monika's voice made me realize what was going on.

Wait…

Monika is actually blackmailing Val?!

She's back for one day, and he's picking on Val?!

Argh!

This makes me angry!

Val flinched at the tone shift and gulped.

It only made my seething worse.

"Y-Yeah! N-Nothing happened!" He replied, almost frantically.

Was this relationship always this…

Abusive?

No, stay calm girl, if I get angry now, both of them will know that I am crushing on him.

Damn it!

Then what can I do?!

Hmm, maybe I can try to push Val away from this sticky situation subtly.

Yeah, that will work!

Wow, thinking like this seems like a piece of cake!

Maybe it's my dad's genes kicking in!

"I have an eye for details… I know there's something up!" I claimed, rubbing her chin at the both of us.

Well, no shit me!

I am not just any ordinary grunt!

…

Wait, grunt?

I mentally shook my head to refocus my thoughts.

Okay, what now?

Maybe I can list the obvious right now.

"You both have traces of red cheeks…" I listed, hoping that I can something going.

That is until I saw Val's nose.

It was trickling with a little bit of blood, meaning it was a nosebleed.

My body tensed up when I assumed the worse, but there weren't any signs of trauma on the nose, so it had it be triggered somehow.

Oh, thank goodness.

If Monika did that, I would have lost it.

Shit!

Get a grip; they are staring at me!

"And is your nose bleeding?" I asked him, redirecting the focus onto him for the time being.

His eyes widened slightly and then tried to wipe it off.

But luckily, I caught him mid-act.

This baka.

"Don't move, baka. Let me clean it for you. Rubbing it off will just make things worse."

Without a moment to waste, I took out my prized pink handkerchief and dabbed his nose.

While I was cleaning up Val's nosebleed, I realized what I was rubbing it off with.

My handkerchief…

This is my mom's favorite handkerchief.

But…

I am sure she would approve of what I am doing.

While I continued to clean his nose, I took the chance to check his face.

The baka doesn't even know that I am checking him out right now…

Once I finished cleaning up, I pulled my handkerchief away from him.

I then looked up to him.

He is so hot.

How come no one's his girlfriend yet?

…

Wait a minute.

My eyes widened as my mouth quivered uncontrollably.

He's too close!

So close!

I don't know what to do?

W-What now?!

"Wow, I feel better already! Thank you, Natsuki. I really appreciate it." Val thanked with a smile.

It was there that I couldn't keep up the image of being tough and confident at all.

"Shut up! I only did it because… because I couldn't risk you bleeding over my cupcakes! I can hardly care less if I didn't bring any! Baka!" I yelled, causing him to flinch.

That flinch brought me enough time to regain my composure.

With just a few words, he was able to melt me into lovestruck girl…

And I have no idea what I just said to him at all.

I walked over to the opposite side of the table and sat down.

Right after, I crossed my arms and looked away from him.

"Hmph!" I puffed, adding the cherry on top of masking my intentions.

The rest of the meeting was quiet until the door opened.

A purple-haired girl poked her head out of the door and looked around.

Did Yuri leave too?

How come I didn't notice that?

She smiled once Val caught her attention.

It was there that I felt jealous and overwhelmingly defeated.

Wait, does that mean…

"I brought the tea set…" Yuri quietly and yet cutely stated, holding up the set.

There's just no way!

She can't have a crush on Val!

She just can't!

Monika reared her head from the window and turned her attention to the beautiful girl.

"Good work, Yuri!" She cheered, ignoring the events that have almost pushed me to the edge. "Come on; I'll help you with the cups!"

She then stood up and walked over to Yuri.

I carefully eyed the curvy girl as she walked over to the table and placed the set there.

Yuri turned around, her long purple air waving from the turn.

How does she do it?

I was able to smell the lavender aroma emanating from her hair.

Everything she does looks like a dance…

And from the looks of it, she isn't even trying!

"It's okay, Monika. I can handle the distribution of tea, so don't worry." She replied to Monika.

Wha-?!

Since when Yuri this confident?!

I never thought she would have a spine!

Err, no offense.

She gracefully poured the light brown tea onto the clear cups, the liquid swirling from being poured.

That tea… it doesn't look like anything bought from the store.

It's all handmade!

Val gasped from the quality of the tea, catching my attention.

"Yuri… you made this tea, right?" He asked, enticed from the fragrance of the tea.

For some reason, I started feeling irritated.

It grew worse when I saw Yuri nodding and looking away cutely.

"Y-Yes, I did. I made this tea, Valkyrie."

The way she says his first name is pissing me off!

Why?!

I looked up to Val and saw that he looked conflicted for a second.

But with a warm smile, he looked up to Yuri.

He spoke again but in an entirely different language, losing Monika and me in the conversation.

From the looks of it, he thanked her for the tea.

Yuri let out a relieved sigh and looked back at him.

This time she spoke again in that strange language, which pushed me to my breaking limits.

I don't like how she's getting ahead of him like that!

"Hey! Can you two stop speaking in whatever language you are speaking in!?" I yelled, standing up and slamming my hands on the table.

I glared at the two, before realizing what I just did.

Oh no…

I lost my temper!

And look where I am now?!

I pushed myself to a corner!

Uuuu!

What now?!

"It's…" I muttered. "It's making Monika, and I feel uncomfortable."

Great, now I sound like a xenophobe!

To my surprise, they apologized.

"Sorry."

"Sorry!"

The two bilinguals glanced at each other and smiled.

I felt my hands ball themselves into fists from how irritated I felt.

They can't…

No, Yuri can't…

"I'm sorry. If it discomforts you, then I will stop speaking Russian." She apologized, bowing at me.

"Me too." Val chimed in. "I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable around us, so I'll stop too."

Yuri kept her small smile, and he nodded at her to keep it.

The way they look at each other...

It's like they were meant for each other.

There's no point.

Yuri obviously has a crush on him.

And I have no way of winning.

So it's okay then.

I will let Yuri win.

It's not like I had a chance anyway.

"Well, you guys don't have to stop speaking it… just don't do it around us." I stated, hoping to make them feel a little better for my yelling.

Not soon after, the couple came in.

I couldn't pay attention to my surroundings at all.

All I could stare at was the cute interactions between Thomas and Sayori.

Thomas was taken at this point, especially since Sayori talks about him a lot…

"Sayori, we are in the club room. You can stop holding my arm now…" He grunted, sounding incredibly embarrassed.

If only our relationship looked like that…

"Eh? How did we get here so fast?! I thought we were taking the slow way to the club!" She complained.

Everything about their relationship is cute.

"Awww! You lied to me! You lied to me!" She cutely pouted.

He shook his head.

"I never lied to you, Sayori. We took our sweet time getting to the club because you wouldn't keep up. Now can you let go of my arm?"

That's what I want from him…

Sayori gave an involuntary moan and detached herself from his arm.

"Alright… But we are going to do the same thing when the club meeting is done, right?!" She excitedly asked.

To be happy with me.

And yet I know it's so much to ask for.

For once, a guy starts to interest me, but he gets taken away by my friends.

This is all so hopeless.

My heart kept throbbing at my epiphany.

Why does it hurt so much?

I only had a crush on him…

A silly little crush that will never come true.

But why?

Why does it feel as if he betrayed me?

We never really had a real conversation yet, and it hurts so much!

It's as if we met a long time ago, but we just can't remember each other!

…

Did I…

Did I meet Val when I was younger?

No, that can't be it.

Otherwise, I would have remembered him.

Right?

"Okay, everyone! Now that everyone is here, we can start the club meeting!" Monika declared.

"Yay!" Sayori jumped, ecstatic from the start.

Maybe the cupcakes can distract me from all this.

"Wait!" I said, scooting closer to the table. "Before we start, I want you to show you the cupcakes I was working on yesterday!"

What are the chances that I somehow fuck this one up?

I stood up and tore the foil on the tray, revealing cupcakes with cute cat-ears and whiskers.

Exactly zero percent!

"Owaa! They look so cute!"

"That's very impressive."

"This looks very well-made, Natsuki!"

Ahaha!

The girls love it!

So that has to be mean Val likes it too, right?

When I looked at him, I saw him staring at me.

I couldn't help but flare up from his gawking.

W-Why is that idiot still looking at me like that?!

I thought he had Yuri!

Strangely enough, I failed to mention how conflicting my thoughts were.

Val finally looked back at the cupcakes and with a shrug, reached out for a cupcake.

Oh my gosh, he is going for one!

I hope he likes it!

Wait!

He didn't compliment the cupcakes, so he doesn't get one!

*PWAP*

Okay, maybe he will, but that's not the case!

"Ow! What was that for? Everyone has a cupcake!" He hissed.

His scowl made me flinch a little, something I haven't seen from a guy in a while.

Val has a spine…

Now that's hooooot!

Jeez focus, me!

Yuri has him under her thumb, and now I'm thinking about him like that?

…

I just can't help myself.

"And everyone complimented me on it! Now, pay up on that!" I retorted, giving him an equally dark glare.

He rolled his eyes, which made me flustered.

But I didn't let him see that.

"Your cupcake looks great, Natsuki." He droned, swiping a cupcake away from me.

Wha-

Hey! That was barely a compliment!

Uuuu!

Ugh, maybe he might actually compliment me.

I puffed myself up from the compliments, put my hands on my hips, and looked proud.

"I know, I know. Now-"

"OHMYGOSHTHISTASTSESAMAZING!" Sayori squealed.

Seriously, Sayori?

Out of the times, now?

Val and I winced from Sayori's bouncy behavior.

Yuri decided to take a bite and smiled at me.

"Oh my. This cupcake is very tasty, thank you Natsuki."

I felt stronger from the compliments I was getting, so with some confidence, I looked towards Val and hoped for the best.

He kept gazing at the cupcake, turning it around as if he was searching for something.

W-Why is he doing that?

Is it because I put too much sugar?!

He finally bit down, to which I held my breath.

Please like it, please like it, please like it!

He kept chewing as if he was trying to get a feel of the food.

But all of a sudden, he stopped chewing.

No…

I heard him coo in delight as he continued to chew.

He…

He...

He likes it! He loves it!

Woohoo!

"Well?" I smugly asked.

He kept chewing.

"This is delicious. I can only wish to make these types of cupcakes. The chocolate is rough, the icing is very smooth, and because of the different textures, it makes this cupcake very enjoyable to eat." Val critiqued.

It took me a while to process what he said.

But when I realized what exactly came out of him, I couldn't keep the blood away from my cheeks.

He actually said that…

To think a guy like him would be able to answer all that…

I think…

I think I am going to faint.

"I knew a guy like you would say that… And just so you know, I didn't make these for you." I mumbled, having no idea what I exactly said.

Val smirked, something I really like about him.

"Yeah, I know. You made these for the club, Nat." He teased, worsening my blush even more.

As of now, he's the only guy that can tease me like that.

And I like it.

"Shaddup!"

Maybe I do have a chance…

Even if it's nonexistent.

* * *

Ever since that day, I always looked forward to seeing Val a little more.

And now that I got him to agree on working with me on my manga, I think I have a better chance at this war.

I mean, the more time we spend together, also means the more we bond, right?

And the more we bond means we…

We can maybe be a couple.

I couldn't help but giggle at the thought of that.

For some reason, being a couple feels a bit nostalgic.

I don't know why, either.

With an extra bounce to my step, I made my way home.

Now that I think of it...

I always have been going back and forth with the idea of us being a couple.

Whenever something happens, that goes against me. I give up.

But just when I give up, something happens that helps me, I pick my guns up again.

So if that's the case, then I am going to stick to it.

This time, I am going to fight for him and not give up, even when things look desperate!

I heard a cat meow around the corner.

Oh, that's right!

With my back against the wall, I took out the food that I saved for the cat.

I quietly walked towards the cat and knelt.

The cat turned to me and started walking towards me.

He meowed at me and nuzzled my cheek, to which I giggled.

"Who's a good boy?"

He purred as he nuzzled me before seeing the food in my hands.

The cat knelt and started eating.

I wonder how Val would react to see me feeding a cat.

As he continued to eat, I patted his back, to which he purred even louder.

"I wish I could take you home, but Papa's deathly allergic to cats…" I muttered.

He stopped eating and looked at me.

In his small yellow eyes, he saw the conflict within me and rested his head on my knee.

This cat isn't like the other stray cats around here…

He's always so happy to see me and isn't afraid of anyone.

Once the cat finished eating, I gave him and petted him a little before standing up.

I waved at him to which he sat down.

Maybe one day I can take him in.

Once I left the scene, I went up to the stairs of my home and walked in.

* * *

That was one hell of a detour.

I was still walking home, even a little unfamiliar with the neighborhood, but I managed to find an exit.

The exit was everywhere, and I still couldn't find it.

Gosh, I am such an idiot.

Anyway, I never thought Natsuki would draw manga.

A fantasy manga where a girl is trapped in a world created by a demon.

Why does that sound so eerily familiar?

I don't think that's ever happened to me, though.

With a deep breath, I slapped myself, luckily with no one around.

Seriously, what's with the deja vu all of a sudden?

First I wake up thinking I was in another body, next I find out that it's summer rather than winter, and finally I feel as if some memories I had aren't exactly how I remembered them before.

Is this what they call the Mandela effect?

Gah, I don't know.

I continued to walk home in relative silence, and not before long; I found my neighborhood.

Now that I recognized my surroundings, I started to run home.

Maybe I need to have another goodnight's rest.

And…

What the…?

Someone was waiting at my doorstep.

Long brown wavy hair, white bow, and green eyes….

Monika?

The girl looked at me with a scowl, to which I raised an eyebrow.

It's too much of an effort to be surprised by all this right now.

I'm tired.

"There you are." She brusquely said.

I shrugged at her.

"And there I am," I replied in a relaxed tone. "What's up, Monika?"

She crossed her arms and leaned against the door.

"I was wondering what took you so long. You never took this long to come home. So what's the matter, huh?"

Is she…

Is she interrogating me?

"Well, I took my time because I was hanging out with somebody," I answered calmly.

The hostile look in her eyes was starting to test my patience.

It was further worsened with my fatigue.

Nonetheless, I still kept a smile.

She got off the door and marched towards me.

"What do you mean, hanging out with somebody?" She inquisitively asked.

I am really, really not in the mood for this.

I grew out of this immature behavior a long time ago.

"I don't think I am at liberty to say," I answered again, with a bit of force in my voice to warn her to back off.

During that time frame, I took out my keys and started unlocking the locks.

She was unfazed by the attack and put her hand against the wall, stopping me from unlocking the door.

Wow…

I never thought I would get this annoyed.

Mainly because of an old friend…

"Hah! Don't tell me. You were doing drugs with one of your friends! I thought you were better than that Val!" She mocked, pushing to my absolute limits.

Did she just…

Insult my friends?!

I put myself in "attack mode" and glared at her.

"Watch it! Don't talk about my friends like that!" I warned, giving her one last chance to back off.

She smirked at my apparent anger.

"Your unwarranted hostility shows that you have something to hide. And it's a shame that you were doing steroids or whatever with them." She rejoiced.

I froze. Her poison-filled words soaked into my brain and my indifferent expression turned into rage. With her in my sights, I balled my fists up.

"Monika." I slowly said. "I don't think you realize how much you just pissed me off."

She slowly started to back away from me.

"First off, I don't like how you spoke about my friends like that. They are good people, and they watched out for me when you were gone. If not for them, I probably wouldn't be here in this shape. I treat them as if they were my brothers, and I won't let you talk to them like that! I don't care about our previous history, Monika, they don't deserve to be spoken like that." I yelled.

She flinched but still glared at me.

What the fuck is up with her?!

She is supposed to be a little scared, but there's nothing!

"Secondly, I don't touch drugs! I know what they do the body, and everything I did to gain this physique was from hard work and determination!" I continued.

I gritted my teeth and pointed the finger at her.

"And finally, I am very disappointed in how immature you have gotten, Monika. You had no right to ask me those types of questions." I topped off, my rage now starting to cool down.

Her lips quivered, but she remained steadfast.

"I-Immature?! You're calling me, immature?! I-I… Argh!"

Monika turned on her heel and ran towards her house, shutting her door with a loud thump.

Right now, I was completely taken aback from what just happened.

I let out a huge sigh and rested my back against the door.

What the fuck…?

Since when did I flip out like that?

My patience was basically nonexistent at that point when I flipped out!

And also, since when did Monika become so…

Well…

Bitchy?

She would never do this back then, and she would know better not to insult me or anyone I hang out with.

What's going on?

How did things end up like this?

First, she leaves without really telling me, and then she comes back and is the most hostile I have ever seen…

Something's up right now, and I don't think I belong here.

I should apologize, but at the same time…

No, I'll give her some time to think about what she did.

It was so uncalled for her to do all that.

And I also need some time to think out what I did too.

I turned around and opened the door home.

From the looks of it, no one was home.

With that, I went upstairs and immediately went into doing my homework.

It was difficult to concentrate, thanks to what happened earlier, but I still managed to get a good dent in the work.

Poem for tomorrow is all good, but it's going to be awkward with Monika being there.

Fuck!

What do I do now?!

I dared not to look over to the balcony.

It's just…

Monika was able to play me like a damn fiddle.

But I think I bit off more than I can chew.

Even before she left for Ainu, she would never provoke me like that…

What did the fuck happen in Ainu?

Did something happen when she was gone?

Or did something happen the day she left?

Her mom said she left by her own accord, but there's something up.

Why…

Why did she leave me?

I continued finishing up on my homework, despite the thoughts.

However, I was being pushed to my breaking point until I got a text message.

I picked up my phone and saw it was a message from Natsuki.

Good, I need a distraction.

"Heyyyyy what ya doin?"

I raised an eyebrow at her strange or "quirky" way of texting.

"…"

"Homework"

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Lmao that sucksss anyway you finished your poem?"

"..."

"Yeah, I finished a while ago, you?"

"Natsuki is typing…"

"I didddd 😊"

Yeah, she a lot more freeflow with the emojis…

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Anywayyyy I am making a little surprise for you lol, I think you might like it 😘"

I blushed a little with the kissing face emoji she sent.

"..."

"Thanks, whatever the surprise is, I know it's gonna be great"

There was a small pause on the other side of the convo.

Natsuki started typing but she kept going back and forth with writing anything and nothing.

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Aw, even when you say you aren't trying you still can flirt lmaooooo"

Wait, really?

I never knew that could be flirting. I thought it was a good thing to say…

"Natsuki is typing…"

"You made me blush a little, and I think I might be falling for you know..."

My heart stopped when I saw that message.

Natsuki falling for me?

…

That can't happen, right?

I mean, she and I had a rough start when we first met…

And I am glad that we are bonding a bit more, but-

Sheesh!

Natsuki is probably teasing me at this point!

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Anywayyyy can I sleepover in your house tomorrow?"

I eyed her strange request.

Why would she want to sleepover in a school night?

Before I could get a once over with the message, she unsent it.

"..."

"Uhhh you sure about that? Thursday a school night"

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Well duh dumbassss that's why I unsent it lmao, also I sleep pretty late it doesnt matter"

"..."

I pondered a little on what to do.

If Natsuki wants to have a sleepover, then I don't mind.

"I mean, if you want to stay over then I guess it's cool, my parents aren't going to be home tomorrow"

There was yet another pause on the other side of the convo.

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Wait, so do your parents mind if I am over or not?"

A non-quirky text, huh?

Guess she was pretty serious about it in the first place.

"..."

"Yeah, my parents don't mind, they don't mind if I bring any friends over so it's fine I guess"

"Natsuki is typing…"

"That's coool! So can I sleepover?"

I mean I was implying you can…

"..."

"Yeah, you can if you want, I don't mind"

For some reason, I imagined her squealing in delight.

Augh, why do I think that?!

"Bettttt, we are gonna have some fun while I am there if you know what I mean 😏😏😏"

Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?!

My cheeks instantly redded as I read and reread Natsuki's message.

"Natsuki is typing…"

"I am joking baka don't get any ideas lmaooo. I doubt you would make a move on meee"

Uh…

I am not sure what to feel there.

Did she just hit on me?

"..."

"Right, so tomorrow after the club meeting's done?"

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Yeaaahhhh, of course! I'll bring some of my manga for us to read. It will be fun!"

I eye-rolled on her definition of fun.

"..."

"It will be, anyway gtg I need to finish on hw"

"Natsuki is typing…"

"Ah, okay I'll get to work on mine too, gl!"

"..."

"Yeah gl to ya too"

I put my phone down and smiled from the distraction Natsuki provided.

"Sure, it won't make me forget what happened earlier, but it's something to take my mind off…" I muttered to myself.

The rest of the night wasn't as much of a shitshow as I expected it to be.

I put away the rest of the homework away, and all school supplies back into my bag.

With that done, I looked over to balcony one more time to see what she was doing.

Monika's not on the balcony today.

I think it's for the best.

Once I put my materials away, I headed to bed.

As I laid my head on the pillow, I stared at the ceiling and thought about the events of today.

I was able to sleep with a new drive, with no need to have Monika to push me to sleep.

That's weird…

I couldn't sleep because of Monika not being there for me…

But we fought…

And I don't know how exactly to feel about that.

I can at least fall asleep without feeling like shit.

But why?

The only thing I am looking forward to tomorrow is the sleepover I am going to have with Natsuki.

Is its purpose that drives me?

Without purpose, there isn't much to really look forward to.

So does that mean…

Natsuki is driving me?

Argh, I should stop overthinking right now.

I want to sleep at this point.

And with that, I finally let my eyes rest.

* * *

I looked up in the skies, a bit nervous about the sudden darkness and humidity.

Don't tell me it's going to rain.

With how cloudy and how humid it is right now, I think it might be a thunderstorm.

And I hate thunderstorms…

Although I grew out of my fear of storms, I was still jumpy whenever thunder struck anywhere.

And I hope that it doesn't rain today, mainly because I don't want Val to see that I am still a little girl in the inside.

"Natsuki!"

My body looks underdeveloped and my fear adding onto that would make his image of me worsen…

"Nat! Hey!"

How would he react to seeing a girl like me scared of thunder?

"Damn it, Nat!"

Yeah, it would look pretty pathetic.

In fact, I think it-

Huh?!

Without much of a warning, I felt two hands on me which pulled me up.

"Wah! Wha?!" I yelped, entirely taken by surprise.

The person holding me up then put me down.

I was about to deliver righteous retribution to whoever had the nerve to carry me like that but heard familiar laughter.

Wait…

Is that Val?!

"Ahahaha! Seeing you so surprised like it was hilarious! Hahaha!" He laughed, without a care in the world.

Once I realized who saw me so flustered, I flared up.

It's so early in the morning, and I can't look at him like this!

"Oh man, that quenched my thirst for revenge from yesterday." He stated.

W-What?!

So that's what this is all about?!

Arrrrgh!

I punch him so bad!

But, I did smack him on the back of the head, so I guess it's fair.

Still...

Wait!

I can use this to my advantage!

Hmm, what to do…

"Natsuki?" I heard him call to me.

Shit!

I just made him worried!

And now he's going to investigate!

Quick, I have to improvise!

I crossed my arms and huffed at him.

Wait, seriously me?!

This is the best I can offer?

Now it looks like I can't take this sort of equality seriously!

Surprisingly, I watched as Val's grin morphed into a frown.

"Damn, I think I went too far…" I heard him mutter to himself.

It was there that I decided to do something about the situation.

For some reason, I just didn't want him to berate himself over something like this.

Well…

This is all pretty petty.

"I'm not angry if that's what you're wondering," I stated, easing any tensions he had.

I turned around with my arms still crossed.

"You got me, fair and square. You were still pretty angry over what happened yesterday, so I don't blame you. So good job."

Val still looked uncomfortable.

"But even if you say that you looked a bit unhappy." He said, with a small frown.

Well yeah, I was taken by surprise.

So, of course, I am a bit annoyed.

"Ugh, yeah that's true. But I have something you want to hear. I got a proposition for you, cowboy." I offered, now putting my hands on my hips.

He leaned in, looking interested in what I had to say.

This feels a bit weird, manipulating Val into doing something I want…

And I get the feeling that Monika would get a kick out of this.

I am only going to do this once, so it can't hurt.

"In my manga, I am working on this scene about hand-holding… and I was hoping you can help me! And if you do decide to help me, I won't be so… upset about all that has happened."

His eyes widened when he realized exactly what I said.

I also realized what I said.

Wait; what?!

H-H-H-Hand Holding?!

I am going to be hand-holding with this hunk?!

Well, I wouldn't mind but what would people say if I do hold hands with Val?!

For one, **they would back off and leave him alone.**

Huh?

Where did that come from?!

That sounds like something Yuri would say!

And I have no idea why!

Val's face started to flare up.

"Uhh, I-I um…"

He's hesitating…

Seriously, what am I thinking?!

I am quitting. This is a bit too much for me.

"Hey, um… it's okay if you don't want to. And I completely understand if you don't want to hold hands with-

"I'll do it."

-me…"

…

...

...

Huhhhhh?!

Val would want to hold hands with me?!

I thought he would put up a counteroffer or something, but not actually go for it!

"Nat, if it's something that will make you happy again, then I will do it. I am going to apologize, and I wanna see a smile on your face, got it?" He explained with a small smile.

I couldn't help but smile back.

How does he know what to say at the best of times?

"A-Alright, if you say it like that, then there's no way a girl can refuse…" I mumbled nervously.

Great, now I am nervous.

He put his hand out to me, to which I reluctantly accepted.

Please don't say anything about my hand being sweaty…

Val gripped my hand and put it over mine.

It felt as if he knew what he was doing and expected that I did the same.

With a deep breath and I held onto his hand.

This is what I have come to…

Doing all these anime tropes that will embarrass both of us.

Or at least, me…

Val started to take a couple of steps, to which I slowly followed along.

He slowed his pace for me as if understanding what I was going through my head.

Just take this as a learning experience for me; it will help me understand more about this…

But this is the first time I ever held hands with a guy!

For some reason, when I thought that, an image of a boy, I have never seen flashed in my head.

Huh?

Who was that?

"Nat? Are you feeling okay?" He asked.

I looked over to him, puzzled for a few seconds before realizing what was going on.

"Y-Yeah, I am. It's just a lot to take in." I excused, waving him off.

He wasn't content with my excuse.

"Okaaay then… just let me know if you feel uncomfortable. I'll let go of your hand." He offered.

I only nodded at him in response.

* * *

Maybe this is all too much for her.

Hand holding is something I always did with Monika, so this is all second nature to me.

Or at least I thought it was.

This actually way too much for me too!

I am holding hands with a girl!

And that girl is Natsuki!

Well… Monika is a girl, too, but that isn't the case here.

The point is, this feels completely different!

But, I can't let Nat see that I am freaking out right now.

Aw, why do I always drive myself up to a corner like this?!

We started to walk again. Only this time, our pace was on sync.

It didn't take long for us to arrive at the main road where everyone was walking.

As we walked, there some chattering all around us.

For some reason, I instinctively gripped Natsuki's hand, to which she yelped.

"Y-You baka! Was that for?!" She reprimanded with reddened cheeks.

I flinched a little from the surprise.

"Sorry, it was kind of an instinct. Should I-"

"No!" The pink-haired girl yelled again.

Natsuki looked away.

"Just… don't let go, okay?"

…

I could only stare at her in response.

Wow, to think she was tough all around…

No, I should have expected that she had some edges that need sharpening.

The fact she showed me her manga shows she trusts me.

But why?

Why does she trust me so quickly?

When we first met, we were practically enemies.

Now, look at us, holding hands for her manga.

I then smiled back at her.

"If you say so, cupcake." I flirtatiously said, pushing my luck.

She tightened her grip on my hand, as well.

"D-Don't say that so suddenly, moron…"

The way Natsuki mumbled that made me chuckle.

"Why? It's fun to see you all embarrassed like that." I snarkily replied.

I heard her whine, apparently annoyed.

"I don't like being flustered, baka! It makes me say things that I don't mean!" She enigmatically fired.

I snickered at her.

"Come on, even if you don't like it. I find it pretty-"

I stopped myself from finishing the sentence.

Was I…

Was I going to say cute?

Calling a girl cute is going to be weird.

Especially since Natsuki said, she doesn't like being called cute…

Or at least I think she doesn't.

Then what I can say to finish the sentence?

Enamoring?

Charismatic?

 **Attractive**?

"Pretty what?" Natsuki asked, confused about my sudden cut-off.

Fuck, I did it again!

How the hell am I going to get myself out of this one?

"Well, um…" I started to say, being extra careful with my words. "I find your flustering kind of..."

There's no way out.

I just can't think of a word to get myself out of this!

Fuck it.

I am going to leap of faith.

"Cute."

…

…

…

"Ehhhh?!" Natsuki screeched, her face now on fire.

Gah, what did I expect?!

Of course, something like this would happen!

"I mean uh, I um-!" I stammered, looking for a way out.

Natsuki squeezed my hand to which I winced.

"A guy called me cute… A guy called me cute… A guy called me cute…" She repeatedly whispered to herself.

Shit, shit, shit!

I think she might faint on me!

"What I meant to say is-"

"You really think I am cute?" Natsuki interrupted me.

She was now looking at me with her pink eyes; only this time, I could see something off about them.

For some reason, they weren't as bright as I remembered, only this time they were a tone darker than usual.

"Uh… yeah?" I answered pathetically.

The girl then smirked and squeezed my hand.

"Well then, I don't think yer gonna mind this eh?"

Without much of a warning, she escaped my grip and wrapped herself around my arm.

Wh-Wh-What's going on?!

It took me a couple of seconds to realize that Natsuki was now snuggling against my arm.

A couple of girls around us giggled at the scene.

Added with the sudden switch, my head heated up to the point where there was steam on top of my crown.

"Ahaha! What do ya think of me now?" She celebrated in victory.

I couldn't respond to which she tightened her grip.

"I-I think it's pretty cute too, Natsuki" I answered, my voice turning into nothing more than a whisper.

She giggled in response.

"Jeez, Val. I didn't know you had the hots for me, you know. If you had a thing for me, why didn't you just say so?"

W-What?

I looked to her with surprise, to which she grinned.

She gave me a light smack on my butt, further worsening my flustered state.

"Ah, I am joking, baka. No need to get your boxers in a twist!"

I frowned and rubbed myself once I realized how much Natsuki made a comeback.

"Shut up… I am gonna make you pay, Nat. Just you wait, cause you are never going to expect it." I declared, trying my best to regain my composure.

She laughed, not out of mockery, but out of joy.

And for some reason, it knocked me out of my weakened condition.

Her laugh was able to pierce my heart and tickle it.

That sensation was something I couldn't get enough of.

I think…

I think I like where we are at right now.

* * *

After Val dropped me off at my classroom, all I can think of was what we were going to do during the sleepover and how bold I was around him.

I teased him…

Instead of him teasing me, I teased him!

And that felt amazing!

Not to mention that move where I slapped his…

Hehehe...

Now that's an ass America can be proud of!

I smiled to myself and looked outside.

Mama said that it's going to be raining after school, especially since it was supposed to rain Tuesday.

It was very sunny yesterday, so I guess it makes sense it would rain today.

That reminds me…

Val and I should get under the same umbrella!

It's going to be like those cute scenes in anime where a boy and girl are stuck and have to share an umbrella.

But I bought my umbrella…

Not to mention, I am a terrible liar.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Yuri walking in the hallway.

Yuri?

Doesn't she have a class with Sayori?

Oh yeah, that reminds me, I need to talk to Tom about what Val likes.

That might help me get an edge over the two.

She had her signature frown, to which I sighed about.

Yuri always looks sad whenever she walks around, and she doesn't even realize it.

The purple-haired girl then bumped into a tall guy.

I squinted towards them and realized who the guy was.

Val?!

**Stay away from him!**

Val awkwardly pushed her off and patted her shoulder, to which Yuri hugged him.

What…?!

My heart sank when she hugged him.

No…

No, he can't!

Val immediately but clumsily pushed her off.

I looked up to his face and saw he was a bit puzzled and also a bit embarrassed.

Without missing a beat, Yuri bowed to him and quickly walked past him.

He turned around, now even more confused than before.

The painful feeling in my heart was replaced by relief.

Phew.

I am glad the baka doesn't know how to pick up on some signs.

Right now, it's so obvious that Yuri likes him.

But more importantly, I am glad Val didn't really react to Yuri's hug as much.

I sighed again, this time out of defeat and looked at my chest.

Mama doesn't have a big chest, but it's a definite B or even C.

But for me, on the other hand, I barely reach B.

If I had a bigger chest and was also a little bit taller…

Would Val see as one of them?

…

I don't know anything about his tastes!

Well, that's a question to ask him later!

Now, what would be Val's taste in...

The rest of the day flew by as I kept pondering his likes and dislikes about certain things.

Most of which were made up by my delusions.

Is class over already?

That was fast!

I packed up all my books and went over to my locker.

So, today we're going to share our poems.

I hope Val likes my poem…

Once I was done packing up, I started to walk to the club.

I wonder how Val's poem is going to be like…

Before I got half-way, I smiled from the positive effect he was giving.

So…

This is what they mean by falling in love?

Only thinking about him…

I shook my head out of it and continued walking.

If only he thinks about me the same way as I do.

As I walked to the club room, I was met by Monika.

"Oh, hey, Natsuki!" She cheerily greeted.

I gave a small smile and greeted back.

"Hey! It seems like everyone's late, huh?" I remarked.

She smiled back.

"Looks like it, anyway… can we go inside and talk for a bit? I need some advice about something."

My stomach was uneasy when she said she needed advice.

"Um, I don't know if I could offer a lot as Yuri does, but I'll try!" I cheerily replied.

We walked in and took a seat next to each other, with the both of across.

Monika's smile sank as she sighed.

"Thanks for hearing me out, Nat. I don't know how to make do with this sticky situation I am in." She said, her tone now bluer.

I gave her a hopeful smile.

"Well, hey. It's what friends are for right, Monika? We go way back, remember?"

She looked up with some hope in her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. And I am very grateful for that. You three helped me adjust in Ainu, believe it or not. Without you three, I don't know if I would be the same girl I am now. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Val."

My eyes widened for a split second before turning back to normal from the mention of my crush.

"Y-Yeah, what about him?" I asked, hoping that I didn't give any signs away.

Fortunately, Monika didn't catch anything off about me.

"Well… He and I got into a fight right before he went home."

They did?!

She smirked at my disbelief.

"Yeah, I don't blame your shock. You thought that we would close to each other, since we were childhood friends, right?"

I nodded slowly.

"I thought you two were close, but you kept mentioning something about that 'day' back in Ainu. Did something happen in that 'day' that made you two fight?" I asked.

Hmm…

Never thought I would be the type to actually be like this 'therapist' type in this friend group.

I thought Yuri or maybe Sayori could do a better job than me.

"A lot happened during that 'day.' But more importantly, it's because of that 'day' is what pushed me to get into a fight with him. My anger got the better of me, and I started insulting him. That's why… that's why he yelled at me."

No…

Val, I thought you would be the one to keep your cool about this!

How did Monika get into your head?!

After years of being together as friends, there had to be ways you were immune to her moves…

Something is up.

And I know something is up ever since I walked into this room yesterday.

"I know Val isn't one to lose his cool about all this. Monika, there has to be something you aren't telling me." I accused, now starting to take his side.

Monika was taken aback and looked away.

"You're right… Val wouldn't get angry at me or anyone if I just insulted him." She admitted.

I knew it.

But what was something that pissed him off?

"I… I insulted him and his friends. I thought he was doing bad stuff with his friends. As soon as I saw his reaction, I knew I messed up."

Val got really defensive over his friends…

Now that's hot.

Sheesh, focus me!

"And I really regret it… what do I do now?" She finished.

I smiled at her.

"It's easy! You should go and apologize for your behavior, Monika. Even though you're 'perfect' on just about everything, even you can make mistakes." I suggested.

She sighed again.

"If that was easy, I don't know how to confront him," Monika stated.

I rubbed my chin in thought.

"Hmm, well… try something that will get his attention. It's something I would do. Maybe take the direct approach, like everything I do." I suggested.

And now I think being the "therapist" might be a bad idea…

Monika juggled the thought in her head before looking up.

"I guess it's worth a try, right?" She reluctantly agreed.

I only shrugged.

"You will never unless you try, Monika," I reassured.

I hope it doesn't work out too well…

But, if it does come to do that, then I am going to have to respect it.

They were friends for years now, and she was holding her feelings in for a very long time…

Unlike me…

Right?

Is there a boy waiting for me too?

"Thanks for the help, Natsuki. Talking to someone about it helped."

I put my hand on my hip and smiled brightly.

"It's the least I can do. But why did you ask me to help you out? Why not the other girls?" I asked.

Monika looked off at a distance before shaking her head out of it.

"Ehehe… Well, Sayori would be too optimistic and hope for the best. I don't know if she has experience with all this. As for Yuri… I know she has a crush on Val, so she shouldn't know about what happened."

She smiled, but it wasn't anything like I expected.

It was an unholy combination of malice and passiveness.

**"And between us, I don't want her near him."**

I took a step back.

Monika is…

She's a yandere, no doubt!

But…

That isn't going to stop me!

Val called me cute today, and I am going to use that to help me win this war!

"I-I see…" I stammered, hoping to move on from this conversation.

The brown-haired girl took a deep breath and unlocked the door.

"By the way…" She went on while fiddling with the locks on the door. "Do you know where Val was yesterday?"

This isn't good.

If I say something how Val and I spent time in the library, things are going to fall apart!

"I…"

For some reason, the words I needed to say wouldn't come out.

Why can't I tell her?

The nagging sensation in my heart came tugging at me.

They are going to keep fighting for him.

So, I am going to have to stand my ground.

I don't care if I am going to be a target!

Instead of the words I needed to say, I said the words that I wanted to say.

"Well yeah, Val and I were in the library together." I declared, staring at the green-eyed directly in the eye.

I expected another yandere reaction, but to my surprise, Monika's eyes widened at the news.

There was something misty in her eyes that confirmed that she was struck.

"Oh… I-I didn't know. And here I was, thinking that he was doing bad stuff. Ahaha…" She muttered.

It looks like she didn't expect me to fall head over heels for him.

But guess what?

I did.

And boy, does it feel good.

Monika unlocked the door and walked back to her seat.

"It's good that you two are getting along." She said before taking out some paperwork.

Not long after, Val walked in with Tom.

"...And I didn't expect the combat to be that realistic! Like seriously, your headset just turns black if you get shot!" Tom excitedly said.

Val nodded slowly to whatever he was saying with a great deal of interest.

"That sounds terrifying, especially if you don't know where it came from." He inputted.

He then turned to us and gave us quick waves before taking a seat with Tom.

Right after that, Yuri and Sayori walked in and gave them greetings to all of us.

Once everyone was seated, we all started doing our things.

Val and Tom were still chatting about whatever they even talking about, while Yuri and Sayori caught up with some reviewing.

Monika was still doing the paperwork from the beginning of the meeting.

I gave the room one more glance and decided to make my move.

Now's my chance!

I checked my bag to see if the present I had for him was still in good condition.

With the last-minute check out of the way, I took it out and walked over to him.

However, Yuri was first in line, apparently done with the review.

What the-?!

I could have sworn she was still reviewing that math test!

Weird.

"Um…" She let out, catching the attention of Val.

There was a lull in the conversation the two were having, so Val turned to her.

"Hm? Oh, hey, Yuri. What's up?" He greeted.

For some reason, I was able to sense some discomfort from him.

My gut was practically yelling that he didn't want to be around Yuri for the time being.

There were no signs of him being uncomfortable, such as no imposing body language and facial features.

Papa told me to look out for those signs, but he isn't giving any.

And to trust my gut feeling, since it got him out of almost everything in life.

I don't know why I am thinking he is feeling a bit off around her.

Fortunately, no one was able to pick that up except me.

Why are you feeling so off, Val?

"I-I was wondering if you would read this book with me," Yuri asked. "It's from one of my favorite authors, so it's special…"

Smart move, Yuri.

Especially since we are going to be sharing poems in about fifteen minutes…

Val unexpectedly frowned at the girl.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Yuri. I don't think I can. I promised Natsuki that I would help her with something." He sincerely apologized.

That's right!

…

…

…

Wait. What?!

Did you really have to call me out like that?!

Uuuuu!

"Oh… Is that so? I'm sorry for the interference! Please forgive me!" Yuri mumbled while bowing.

Val smiled and patted her shoulder.

"It's cool, don't worry. Maybe next time, okay?"

She looked up to him and nodded with a small smile.

"Okay… I'll be waiting."

With that, I walked up to him and glared at him, to which he sheepishly laughed.

I grabbed his ear and pulled him down, dragging him to the closet.

Once we were out of earshot of everyone, I unleashed Hell on him.

"You baka! Did you really think that by dropping my name would get you out that?!" I angrily whispered.

He hissed in pain.

"Ow! Ow! Yeah, I had to make up an excuse, and you're the first person that came to mind! I'm sorry!" Val apologized.

Wait…

I was the first person he thought of?!

…

My face burned up from his apology, but I still had a good grip on his ear.

"Wait a minute, Nat… how did you know I was stuck?" He whispered.

That's right…

I was able to figure out that he was in a sticky situation, but relying on my gut.

Aw shit!

Now how am I going to explain that to him?

Wait, this isn't that bad of a thing to explain!

"My gut feeling told me you were feeling off," I replied while dragging the moron to the closet.

I ran the sentence a couple of times in my head to make sure it didn't sound weird or anything.

Yeah, it sounds a little weird, but in the right way.

Once we were inside the closet, I let go of his ear to which he rubbed.

"Jeez, you know how to pull, huh, Nat?" He added.

I crossed my arms and looked away.

"Shut it! You're on a short leash for putting me on the spot like that!" I yelled, still a bit embarrassed from before.

Instead of flinching or anything, he smirked.

"Well shit, I didn't know that bringing you up like that would shake you up that much. It's probably because I got the hots for you." He teased.

…

I had nothing to say that would mount a proper comeback.

My head felt like it was on fire with the words he attacked me with.

He said that he was going to make a comeback later.

And he really did.

Without realizing it, he walked up to me and put his hands on my cheeks.

"Look at you. You're like a gentle kitten now." He further teased.

Val is…

Val is touching my cheeks…

"So that means I won, right?"

It was true that he won, but my pride wouldn't allow it.

"No!" I managed to say through my squeezed cheeks.

Val put on a cunning look and leaned in.

"Really?"

I looked away from his hard stare, feeling as if he was lecherously checking me out.

Once again, I was caught off guard when he started pinching my cheeks.

Instinctively I put my hands on his to get him to stop, but he wouldn't budge.

He pulled my cheeks in all different directions to extract a surrender from me.

"Admit it!" He demanded.

I tried pulling away from him, but his grip on me was too firm.

This continued for a bit, but without much of a fight, I gave in.

"Fine! You won!" I said.

He backed away with a smug smile and put his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, I know. I was just rubbing it in. And man, did it feel good!" He rejoiced.

I eye-rolled, secretly enjoying the little struggle we had.

"Whatever. I bet ya planned on doing this while you were in class, huh?" I pointed out, feeling sore from defeat.

He shrugged in response.

"Maybe I did, but it doesn't matter! It's revenge for smacking my ass!" Val declared.

I grinned, now knowing that he let himself open for me.

"Well, I couldn't help myself. You have a nice ass, Val." I complimented him, knowing it would disorient him.

As soon as he put his hands down, I put mine on my hips.

Now that's a power play!

But instead, he stood proud.

"Thanks, I do squats. They really help shape my ass." He calmly said.

Wow…

I didn't think he would be that forthcoming with that information…

To my surprise, he widened his eyes, as if realizing what he exactly just said.

I couldn't help but snicker at his shocked expression.

"Pff… Ahahaha!" I let out.

He rubbed in face pure agony.

"Aggh! I thought I was at the gym for a moment! But I realized who I was speaking to!" Val grumbled.

I continued to laugh and laugh, to the point where I needed to hold my stomach to stop some of the pain.

Val frowned but starting chuckling with me not soon after, the contagious laughter now infecting him.

"Sometimes, you're such a dork, baka."

He let out a happy sigh.

"Monika calls me that, so I guess I am. Once a dork, always one, I guess." He admitted.

Val then looked towards me.

"Anyway, what's that you're holding?"

My heart stopped for a second once he realized what was going on.

I am…

I am going to feed him ice cream?!

Oh jeez! How am I going to do this?

Take a deep breath, girl.

Let's take this one step at a time.

I took a deep breath and readjusted myself.

"That's none of your business, Val. At least not now, look I need your help with rearranging my manga." I answered.

Nice!

But what's point of asking for help if I already arranged it?

He raised a suspicious brow before shrugging.

"Sure, I can help with that. I didn't know you already made a bunch of volumes, Nat." The onyx-eyed guy replied.

Wait… what?

He walked over to a bookshelf filled with bright colored manga.

My eyes widened when I realized where he was going.

"Wait!" I yelled, hoping that would get him to stop.

It did momentarily, but he nonetheless reached out for the manga.

"Why? Don't you want me to sort this out for you?"

That isn't my manga collection nor my manga!

He looked down at the cover of the book he was holding and was confused.

"This looks… interesting for a manga cover." Val muttered, eyeing the unusual cover.

The cover of this particular "manga" showed a very lewdly drawn girl putting up two peace signs.

My face burned red from what he was holding in his hands.

"Put that down! No, just give it to me!" I demanded, now lunging at him.

He was taken aback from the lunge but was able to keep the book away from me.

If Val looks inside of this "manga," it will all be over for me!

"Why? What's so bad about this? It can't be that bad of a non-manga reader like me, right?"

Now that he was curious, I ramped up my efforts to stop him.

"No! No! Stop it! Don't look at that!" I hollered, trying my utmost hardest to reach for it.

Val kept examining the book while holding a hand on me, creating a distance between him and me.

"Aw, don't be like that! I am sure you're just overreacting. I have seen some stuff already. This can't be that b-"

He stopped in the middle of his sentence as he stared into the content of the "book."

…

It's over.

Looks like he found out that I am a pervert.

A pervert that's into maids and ahegao…

Val's face flushed a deep pink before putting the book down like fire.

I would have normally checked on the manga's condition immediately, given from how rough he threw the book, but I was defeated.

"W-W-What is all that?! Is that ecchi?! Hardcore ecchi?!"

And with that, I lost my chances of being with him.

I'm such an idiot.

"Yeah…" I pathetically admitted, wrecked from losing the war.

Fortunately, he stopped his reaction and was concerned about me.

"I-I mean, it's kinda ballsy for you to keep ecchi in a school shelf, but…"

I felt my eyes burn from the tears I was trying to hold back.

And because of that, I gritted my teeth and interrupted him.

"But what?! You must think I am a sick pervert to be keeping all this, right?! You think I am weird for liking this sort of thing, right?! I don't care! You can laugh all you want and shame me! I give up!" I screamed, the tears now starting to fall down my cheeks.

Val's look turned serious in an instant.

"What are you even going on about? I don't think any less of you, Nat! And you can be into whatever you want, why should I make fun of you about that?" He quickly but clearly stated.

I sniffed and looked up to him.

"If you're into ecchi, then that's cool. Everyone has their ways of getting off right?" Val open-mindedly continued, before blushing a little. "And besides, I'm actually impressed, believe it or not. I never thought you would have that much courage to hide manga in the closet of a classroom! That's ballsy, Nat!"

Of course, he would say something like that.

And what does he mean by getting off?

Why would I think otherwise?

For a guy like him, he really knows his way with words.

"Y-You really think that it's brave of me to hide my ecchi here?" I asked, now feeling a lot better knowing that I didn't mess up my chances over something like this.

He walked up to me, wiped some of my tears away, before taking a couple of awkward steps back.

Val actually wiped my tears away…

…

He's so manga material!

I mean, boyfriend material.

"Well, yeah. You aren't afraid of what happened when teachers come back here and check the shelves. And not to mention, you're into some… pretty hardcore stuff." He added.

He's talking about the details and everything of the ecchi!

I put my hands on my hips and put up a smug smile, despite my face saying otherwise.

"Of course, I am! You can't call yourself a true manga reader if you never read ecchi! It's what separates the casual and the dedicated!"

He chuckled a bit from my statement.

"Ha! What a nice way to gatekeep. Anyway, when did you even put this all in? And how come they didn't catch you?"

My face started to relax as I grew more comfortable around him.

It's like I can say anything to him and he would like just…

Listen.

I kept standing proud.

"Well, it's because of how I know this school works! Remember? I went here for extra summer classes, baka! They never check the shelves! The best time to put something… suspicious away is right after club meetings!"

Val nodded, understanding what I was getting at.

"So after Monika and I left, you took the time to stash them here, huh? But what's the point? Why can't you hide them… you know, at home? Your room can't be that revealing, right?" He further pressed.

My proud stance faded once he asked that final question.

"It's because… it's because of my Mom." I admitted.

His eyes widened and opened his mouth.

"Before you say anything, no my Mom's not dead… it's just that my Mom has a vendetta against manga for some reason. My Dad's okay with me reading manga, but my Mom gets livid whenever she sees read anything like that. I can hide my drawings sure, but manga? That's difficult, especially from my Mom. Hiding my manga here is the safest bet from not freaking her out." I confessed, feeling a little empty after it.

I still have no idea why Mama hates manga a lot…

Papa said she used to love manga a lot when she was a teenager.

What happened?

"Something must have happened to your mom that caused to hate manga so much. Or at least, that's what I am assuming…" He guessed, trying to piece the story together.

How did he-?

"Your face says it all, Nat. I just have a thing for guessing how people behave towards others. In this case, your mom and manga."

I smirked, secretly impressed by his acute deduction skills.

"Not bad, cowboy. Yer actually pretty close to how it's like back home."

Aw, who am I kidding?

He's got it spot on!

Val shrugged.

* * *

"Hey, I tried. So anyway, is there any manga that I need to-"

"NO, NO, NO! There isn't any more manga for you to sort out!" Natsuki interrupted, putting her hands up to stop me.

Okay…

She asked me to sort that out, but all of a sudden she doesn't me to do any of that?

Yeah, that isn't fishy at all.

"Alright, fine!" I assured her. "If I won't do any of that, so what's the point of me being here?"

Nat did chew me out on dropping her name in front of Yuri…

Luckily she hasn't brought that up at all.

"Why did you use my name as an excuse back there?" She asked, not skipping a beat.

Fuck!

How did she even know when to ask that?!

I think I just jinxed myself there.

Now, what do I say?!

"Um… well, uh…" I went on, not having an idea of what to say.

She crossed her arms and smiled at me, apparently smug.

"Look at you! You don't even have a reason for dropping my name like that! I think you're in love!" Nat teased.

I frowned, trying to hold the blush in from the embarrassing and weird statement she put up.

"Argh! Shut up! It's because I was… feeling really uncomfortable around Yuri!" I answered truthfully, cutting her visage short.

Did I feel uncomfortable around Yuri?

That's pretty shitty of me to say!

"I mean to say-!"

Nat put a hand up to stop me.

"It's okay, I understand." She interrupted, now sporting a neutral frown. "I saw Yuri hugging you in the morning, and it looked like you were uncomfortable because of that, right?"

S-She saw all that?!

And she thinks it's because of how sudden it all was?!

I smiled from how understanding she was.

If Monika saw that, then she would have thought that I liked the hug…

Especially since Yuri's a-

Yeah, pretty well endowed.

Would it be the same if it was her from four years ago?

…

Probably not.

She would think that way, regardless.

Everything so far is based on misunderstandings and unspoken words.

Something that has plagued us ever since middle school, no elementary school.

Why?

Why is our relationship as friends doomed to fail?

In an alternate universe, would I have entered a relationship with her?

Would that relationship be doomed as well, or will it be a lot better and stable?

….

I should probably give Natsuki an answer.

"You're right on the money, Nat." I finally said, causing her eyes to sparkle in joy.

She looks so cute, and it's messing with me!

"I was feeling a little strange and uncomfortable around Yuri, so I used you as an excuse to get away from her," I stated.

She smiled, and then all of a sudden lunged at me.

I flinched and was taken aback from the surprise hug she delivered.

And instead of feeling flustered or anything, like how I was before, I instead enjoyed a hug.

In this hug, for some reason, I felt the same warm feeling in my heart.

Because of that, I hugged her back, causing the feeling in my heart to swell.

This feels…

So much more different from the hugs I get from Monika or that one from Yuri.

It feels…

Good.

Natsuki let out a cute yelp when I hugged her back but enjoyed it.

For a couple of moments, we kept hugging until we reluctantly pulled away.

This feeling…

It's pretty weird.

Weird, but mysterious.

"Val, we still have some time to kill. Want to read some manga with me?" She asked.

I gave her a warm smile.

"Sure, why not? It won't hurt to read some right?"

I am not sure we hugged for that long, but I did like it.

Even if it was a little weird...


	13. Feelings(Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

Natsuki bounced a little when I said yes.

"Sweet! This will be fun for both of us!" She declared.

I shrugged.

"Maybe, but manga isn't really my cup of tea. I am more of a comic book sort of guy." I retorted.

She scoffed at me.

"Pff, how American are you trying to be? Can't you like… get used to your new home?"

I smirked.

"Nah, I lived in the States for about five years or so, and when I came here, all I can think of is being true to my heritage. That is until I…"

For a split second, an image of a girl flashed inside of my head.

However, it wasn't the same girl that I remembered fondly when we were children.

Instead, this girl had long pink hair and a cute little fang that protruded from the side of her lip.

Who…

Who is she?

"Until what?" Nat asked, bringing me back to reality.

Until I met Monika?

No, for some reason, when I try to say that it sounds a little wrong.

This girl in my head…

It feels as if we met a long time ago before I even met Monika.

That's weird because I would've remembered her.

"Nevermind, it's not that important. Come on, let's do some reading." I dropped.

With a concerned frown, she relented and walked past me.

But before I realized it, Natsuki took my hand and manga from one of the bookshelves before sitting down.

Not again!

Holding hands with her is so weird, and it's not as odd as holding it with Monika!

She turned around with an ecstatic smile.

Oh.

I smiled a little from how she excited she was.

Maybe if she smiles like that, then I guess it isn't as weird, I thought it would be.

Especially since it makes her smile.

"We're gonna read this! One of the best mangas ever made!" She cheerily exclaimed.

Wha-?

We're reading ecchi?!

Before I decided to say anything, I took another look at the manga.

It was a bright cover, filled with color and girls posing flamboyantly.

Nevermind.

Without even reading the title, I can tell it's Parfait Girls.

Jeez, to think that we would read some questionable content together…

Once we sat down, Natsuki opened the book and held one side.

I reached out and held the other side.

The book was now in a strange position, as both of us couldn't turn the pages.

Hmm, this is a bit awkward to hold and read…

"Oh! I got an idea! Hold this for a minute!" Nat suddenly said, jumping up.

For the meantime, I held the book normally.

She then walked over to the plastic container that was sitting on the table for a while.

With a smirk, she sat right back down.

"I think you deserve your gift after all that hard work you put, Val~!" She teasingly sang.

Her singing, for some reason, jumpstarted my heart.

I didn't know that Natsuki could sing…

…

Wait a minute!

I didn't do any work!

"Also, as a bonus…"

She then leaned into my ear.

I felt her hot breath on my ear, tickling it.

"I'll feed it to you…" She whispered, sending shivers down my spine.

How can Natsuki be so…

Argh!

I don't know the words for this, but she is cornering me and making me lose my cool.

If this goes on, then I don't think I can be myself and be really vulnerable…

To respond to her, I only nodded.

With a cute giggle, she opened the container, to which I started to feel off.

"I got a good feeling you're gonna love the ice cream I made!"

Wait, ice cream?!

That's what she made?!

Without a moment's delay, I turned to look at the container holding the ice cream.

But as soon as I did, I felt a strange sense of deja vu.

Uh…

Didn't I see that container before?

The plastic container revealed ice cream that looked remarkably well made.

Huh.

That ice cream looks good!

It's like the ones from the trucks!

And…

For some reason, giving me strong hits of deja vu.

My mind kept drifting in and out of premonitions where Natsuki was feeding me the ice cream and smiling at me.

At the end of it all, she leaned in and-

"I got an idea!" She declared, knocking me out that strange state. "You hold the book while I spoon-feed it! It will be like one of those romantic comedy mangas that I like a lot!"

Oh, thank goodness she's back to normal!

Or whatever she is when she isn't behaving so… cunning.

"Um, sure. Natsuki, I don't mind." I muttered, not paying much mind to my words.

I then shook my head and got a grip of myself.

"Wait, can't I just eat myself? I am not a child anymore." I retorted, not understanding her reference.

She rolled her eyes.

"Baka, this also means that feeding you ice cream would help with my manga, remember? I still need to understand what happens when I draw the scene out." She answered.

I could only reply with an "Oh." and nodded for her to continue.

"Go ahead, but you better not make this weird!" I warned as I cheeks started to redden.

She giggled again, causing my condition to worsen.

"Only if you don't make it weird first!"

With that, I opened the manga up and started reading.

And immediately after, I was able to pick up on what I was reading.

This is exactly how Parfait girls started!

No, wait, I can see a couple of differences with the manga now…

My eyes scanned the pages carefully, noticing the subtle and not so subtle differences from the manga and the anime Monika and I watched four years ago.

For example, why is Saito fixing up the machine? I thought that- and why is there a spoon next to my-

Before I ask what Natsuki was doing, the spoon found its way into my mouth.

As if out of instinct, I ate the ice cream on the spoon.

This ice cream…

It tastes...

She then pulled the spoon out of my mouth.

It tastes divine!

This ice cream is nothing like the ones I bought!

The vanilla in this is a lot purer. The sugar is actually tastable and...

…

No way.

My face burned up when I realized what just happened.

Natsuki actually went in and gave me some ice cream…

I-I thought she was teasing me and all, but I never thought she would actually do that!

"So… how was it?" She asked with a teasing grin.

My face flared up to a new degree, as I couldn't face her after what she has done.

"It's amazing… It's nothing like I had before. And one for sure is that it is all handmade, and nothing tastes like it was out of the factory…" I muttered, which was barely audible.

Natsuki heard of all it and grinned proudly.

"My parents run a bakery, so I know everything there is to know about sweets! Might I add that my bakery sells its ice cream?" She boasted.

She can bake, huh?

That means that I could learn a thing or two from her.

And also means, Monika can too…

My blushing died down when I remembered my junior high years.

We were both looking for a friend that can teach us about baking.

If only things were better between us now…

"Val?"

I turned to the voice with a somber frown.

"Oh…"

It was Natsuki that I turned to.

Shit!

"Val, is there something wrong?" She asked.

I looked away again and stared right back at the manga.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. Anyway, did you notice that Saito looks a lot different here than he is in the anime?" I asked, redirecting the attention to the manga.

However, Natsuki was unimpressed.

She took the manga in my hands and put it down right beside her.

"I know there's something up, Val. You can't hide it from me." Nat said, her pink eyes now scanning my every facial feature.

I closed my eyes and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Alright, you got me. I do have something up with me, but it's nothing to worry about, Nat." I explained, hoping that she wouldn't pry.

She put her a hand on her hip and leaned in, causing me to lean back.

"Uh…"

"It's about Monika, right?"

…

How did she…

I stared at her in complete disbelief, to which she was unaffected.

"Well?"

All I could do was meekly nod towards her.

Natsuki had a strange look in her eyes before looking down onto the ice cream.

She then scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and hovered over my lips.

In my confusion, I opened up and allowed her to feed it.

"Monika spoke to me about it before the club met." She stated, pulling the spoon out of me.

I swirled the ice cream in my mouth as I processed the information.

The creamy vanilla was able to calm me down somewhat.

Wait. What?

So that means…

Does Monika regret what she did yesterday?

"You fought yesterday, right? Right before you went home?" She further elaborated.

I swallowed the creamy delicacy and eyed her, subtly thanking her for the ice cream for calming me down.

"Yeah… how much do you know, Nat?" I asked.

She closed the container and set the treat aside.

"Maybe all of it, considering that I tried to understand your side of the fight. I dunno, why?." Nat replied.

I wrung my fingers nervously, now knowing that she knows what happened.

"Well, I'm asking you this because… I don't want you to get caught up with whatever's been happening between us." I stated.

She crossed her arms and leaned in again, to which I slowly backed into a wall.

"I know that! I just want to help you! It isn't…"

Nat paused for a second before looking into my eyes.

Her hot pink eyes…

"It isn't right for you two fight! You guys were childhood friends, right? You can't let your friendship with her go to waste!" She yelled, now completely waking me up from my weakened state.

She's right...

We grew up together, playing, eating, and even sleeping together…

And we're just throwing that away?

"Nat, I understand what you're saying but-"

"But what?!" She interrupted with fire in her eyes. "Why won't you let me help you?"

I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Because I don't want you to be caught up in this mess. This is between Monika and me, and letting you deal with it is just unfair. You shouldn't have to worry about our problems if you have any of your own."

Without warning, Natsuki grabbed the cuffs of my collar and pushed me into the wall.

"Listen, punk! I said that I outta help ya out! What part of helping don't cha understand, eh?" She yelled again, but this time with an accent. "Yer problems are my problems. You got that?"

There was a long pause after Nat's rant.

I heard her breathing becoming unsteady, which made me uneasy.

However, I was a bit more terrified of Natsuki's anger, but instead of being intimidated, I was quickly intrigued by it.

This is how she is when she is frustrated, huh?

It's actually kind of cute.

Something about her rage makes it so loud and proud, as well as cute.

It pretty hard to take her seriously when she is like this.

And because of that, I couldn't help but crack a smirk.

"Well… if you are gonna say it like that, then I have a choice but to accept your offer." I accepted, hoping that I can see more of her in this state.

She then pulled herself off of me and put her hands on her hips.

"Yer damn right you don't hafa choice!" Nat gloated.

Natsuki sounds a lot like an Italian mobster…

But not in English, though.

It's kind of interesting.

I want to see more of it.

And the only way to get it out is by teasing her or by pissing her off…

So teasing her is an excellent way to get it out.

"You know, it's pretty hard for me to say no when you're all like that." I started to say, catching her attention.

That caught her off-guard, as she looked at me with confusion.

"Eh? Whaddaya mean?"

My smirk grew at her puzzled expression.

"It's not because you look scary or anything. I think you look a little cute when you are ticked off or anything. And because of that, I find it hard to say no to you." I confidently said, now turning the tables of the conversation for good.

I watched as Natsuki took the words in, from confusion to a completely flustered state.

"Fweeeh?! What do you mean?! A-And… I am not cute!"

I stretched a little and patted her head, worsening her embarrassment.

"You know, denying that you're cute makes you cuter right? It would be an endless cycle if you didn't realize it yet." I mentioned.

The pink-haired girl frowned from my words.

"Argh… alright! I'll admit, I'll admit it! I am cute! Alright?! Now… stop poking me with your words or whatever!" Natsuki yelled in frustration.

That's a weird choice of words…

"The same applies if you admit you're cute, Nat. You just walked yourself into a trap. Kind of like dad jokes."

Is it wrong that I sometimes laugh at dad jokes?

This provoked Natsuki apparently, to which she turned and started hitting me in pure frustration.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You're just playing with my head, and I can't get myself out of it because of you! So shut up!"

I couldn't help but laugh from how pissed Nat was.

"Fine, fine! I am sorry! Let me make it up to you." I simply said, while looking at the container.

Without realizing it, I took the container from Natsuki's hands and scooped up the ice cream.

This was a lot easier to do, especially since she was trying to hurt me.

Wait a minute. What the hell am I doing?

Am I going to feed her this?

But I just ate from that same spoon...

"Eh?" She let out, now looking at the container and spoon in my hands.

Shit!

The worst part is that I didn't realize that I even did this in the first place!

Something about this ice cream is making me all weird. It has to be!

Natsuki kept darting her attention to me, the ice cream, and to the spoon.

The redness in her cheeks spread all across her face, to which she groaned.

"W-Wait! Are we really doing this?! I-It's just that we don't have to do this. You know… for the sake of my manga or anything…"

What is she talking about?

She took my brief silence as an answer.

"I-I-If you really want to do this so badly, then fine! I was hoping that my first would be with… Argh, nevermind! Do it!"

Huh?

"And besides…" She muttered while looking away from me. "I wouldn't mind if my first was you, Val."

I am still pretty lost.

Is she still talking about the spoon or… something else completely?

"Uh… I am confused, Nat." I admitted, now letting my dorky side out.

She stared at me in complete disbelief before facepalming.

I winced from how hard she smacked herself.

When she came to, her eyes were a dark shade of pink and was on fire.

"YOU MORON! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FEED ME THE ICE CREAM TO ME! CAN'T YOU DO THAT?!" She hollered, which pierced my eardrums.

I let out a pained sigh and moved the spoon up to her mouth.

"My bad…" I whispered, apologizing to her.

She rolled her eyes despite her reddened face.

When the spoon reached her lips, she took a deep breath before glaring at me once more.

"This is just for the manga, alright! This doesn't count or anything! And…"

She lessened her glare and looked away from me.

"As I said before, I don't mind if it was you. Now do it."

With a curt nod, she opened her mouth to which I delivered her the ice cream.

As I pulled away, Nat let out a small moan.

It was something for some reason, tickled my heart.

As the distance grew between the spoon and her lips, there was a string of her saliva that produced as well.

For unknown reasons, that was able to make my heartbeat unsteady then it already is.

Now, now, me.

Let's not get any strange ideas.

This is Natsuki.

She is my friend, that is an avid manga collector and writer.

And she's…

Pretty cute too.

Argh!

Where did that come from?!

Natsuki swallowed the ice cream with an audible gulp, which worsened my heartbeat and thought process.

That sounded so…

Strange.

It's also enticing, and I just don't know why!

Snap out of it!

"So this is what an indirect kiss feels like…" Natsuki muttered under her breath.

And as I tried to forget it all, there she comes.

I had a good feeling that this was why she was making a fuss but just couldn't tell for some reason.

Something about all that was a bit off.

"It feels a little underwhelming, and I got a feeling that the real thing would be better." She put out. "If only I got the real thing… then I am sure I can get this manga out to the public. Unless..."

I don't like where this is going.

And yet, I kind of want to stay for more.

I turned to her to see her staring at me with a somewhat sadistic grin.

The shade of pink in her eyes was still dark from when she was glaring at me, but I was able to sense something was very off about it.

Um, I would like to leave.

The girl crawled up to me in a seductive fashion, causing me to backpedal away from her.

It didn't take long until I hit another wall in the claustrophobic closet.

She giggled at my nervous state of mind.

"Sooo, Val… How about it?" Nat asked.

W-What happened to her voice?

It sounds a lot different from before, and a lot more drawled…

This doesn't look good.

I raised a meek eyebrow, masking my nervousness from her.

Playing dumb can maybe work here.

"How about-"

*THUD*

The pink-haired girl slammed her hand to the right of me, causing me to flinch from surprise.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Is she trying to do the kabedon on me?!

"Val, don't play dumb. You know exactly what I meant, right?"

Uh yeah, I do.

And I… I don't know what to say.

Should I do it?

Should I kiss or something?

What do I do now?!

Suddenly, the closet door swung open.

We both looked over to the figure standing by the door, which revealed itself to be Tom.

He looked surprised but quickly adopted a shit-eating grin.

"There you two are, everyone was wondering what was going on in this closet." He 'obliviously' said, while looking about the closet. "Well, it's time to share poems. Let's get a move on, alright?"

Tom then walked out of the closet.

Natsuki stood up and picked up her items, which excluded the ice cream and walked over to the door.

She turned to me one last time, before looking ahead, and finally exiting the closet.

The way she looked at me was out of pity and sadness.

I…

I don't know what to think anymore…

Knowing that there wasn't much time, I got up from the floor and walked out.

As I stepped into the classroom, everyone was now starting to share their poems.

"Val, Val, Val… I never thought you would be going for a girl like Natsuki, you know." He teased.

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, man. She was acting weird when you got there, so I am not sure what was going on."

He put a hand on my shoulder.

"Val, I knew Sayori had a thing for me a long time ago. I hope you can realize that the same thing is happening to you." He enigmatically stated, before walking to his seat.

The same thing was happening to me…?

...

The hell does that mean?!

* * *

I am such a dumbass.

Just because I was able to score an indirect kiss with him, doesn't mean I can go for a real kiss!

But I don't know why I just got super obsessive and desperate over him.

It felt unhealthy, but at the same time, it felt great.

Bah!

That's a shitty excuse for losing my cool and giving into my hormones!

I couldn't help myself after eating from the same spoon as him, huh?!

Jeez, that sounds creepy.

It's still true!

The look on his face showed that he was getting uneasy around me, and still I kept going!

What's wrong with me?!

And not to mention, with Tom suddenly opening the door on us!

He ruined everything!

…

No, he actually didn't.

Tom saved everything.

If I did manage to kiss him, right then and there…

I would have lost.

Right?

I don't know his true feelings yet, but risking it over a kiss is just a wrong move.

And because of that, I am glad that he interrupted us!

Even though Val teases me and all, that still doesn't help with confirming how he feels…

He does call me cute and kept pushing my buttons… And all in the right places too.

Argh!

This is all so confusing!

What did I get myself into?!

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Phew…" I let out, forcing myself to readjust.

I can get past this if I just ignore what happened earlier…

But Val being Val is probably going to bring it up like baka he is.

That guy doesn't like having loose ends around, does he?

Hopefully, I won't run into him, or else I-

"Hey, Nat? You wanna switch poems?" A familiar voice asked.

Fucking son of a- you got to be fucking kidding me- what kind of mother-

"Nat?"

I let out another sigh.

"Fine, just take it," I said calmly, now switching our poems around.

Just keep calm me, let's get this over with.

If he brings up what happened earlier, just try to drop it.

As I read his poem, I felt his eyes on me.

When I looked up, he was staring right at me with a conflicted look on his face.

"What?!" I asked aggressively, hoping that would stop him from asking the inevitable.

Please don't ask me what happened earlier!

I can't answer with a: "I really like you a lot, and I wanted to kiss you there so you could be mine! I hope you understand!"

"Well, you looked a little sad when you left the room, Nat. I was a little worried about you." He asked, apparently concerned about my wellbeing.

I looked back at him with a confused look before realizing what he meant.

He's right…

I messed up big time there and was worried that I lost with the stunt I pulled.

Even though he has better things to worry about, like his relationship with Monika, he still cares about me when I got sad…

All that he is doing…

It makes it hard not to fall for him or even be attracted.

"I am fine! If that's what you are asking!" I aggressively answered, hoping for a different result this time.

He was still unfazed.

"Are you sure? Is it because of happened in the closet?" He asked.

This idiot!

Before I could get a proper retort in, Monika stepped in.

"What happened in the closet?" She asked.

Oh no…

Now she's here!

And things are going to be super sour now that she is going to find what happened!

Val crossed his arms and looked away from her.

"That's none of your-"

"We were just reading manga!" I answered, at the same time as he did, blocking off his voice.

Monika eyed me with a strange gleam in her eyes before smiling.

For some reason, the smile looked sinister.

"Oh! Okay, I thought something else was going on, ahaha!" She laughed off.

Monika gave us a nod and walked away.

We both let out a sigh of relief once she was out of earshot.

Once that was over, I yanked Val's ear and pulled him down.

"You baka! Do you have any idea what could happen if you told the truth?!" I angrily whispered.

He fizzed in pain.

"Urgh, but I wasn't planning on telling the truth, I planned on-"

I squeezed and pulled his ear even harder to make him shut up.

"Idiot! I knew what you were going to say! Don't you realize that you were going to make things worse if you actually did say that?!" I hissed. "And also, did you forget that you were going to make things right with her?! What good is it if you are just going around and mess that up, huh?!"

"Ow! Ow! Alright, alright! I get the point! Just stop pulling on my ear, damn it!" He whispered back.

Once I pulled away, he crossed his arms again.

"Look, you're right about what you said, but I don't I was ready to apologize to her right then and there. Or even try to smooth things over. I am still a little pissed off over what she said to my friends."

I sighed, knowing how defensive he was.

"Right, I should've figured that a guy like you would have some trouble letting something like that," I stated.

Shit!

Wrong choice of words!

"Huh?" He let out.

I shook my head and blushed.

"I meant that you are defensive and stuff, don't worry, you baka!" I quickly covered up. "But look, even if you did say that it would lead to a fight! Imagine what would happen to the club if that happened!"

His eyes widened and rubbed his face.

"Damn it! You're right! Agh!"

He then bowed.

The hell?

"I am sorry!"

My mind clicked at what he was doing.

Oh!

So that's what he was doing.

I kind of like how sincere he is with his apologies.

And when he apologizes it…

It's the sweetest thing ever.

And so, I decided to give him some headpats.

He looked up in confusion, to which I blushed.

"Don't get the wrong idea! I am only doing this because of how much of… of… you care about your friends!" I yelled at him.

I then looked away from him.

"And it's pretty cute when you apologize to me too," I whispered, hoping he couldn't he hear me.

"Huh?"

"Nothing! Anyway, I liked your poem! Now go share it with others!" I stated, pushing the poem back into his hands and taking mine back from him.

He raised an eyebrow from my strange behavior but sighed and moved on.

I also sighed once he was out of earshot.

Thank goodness, I don't think I can handle another second of being around that guy.

He really makes my heart jump way too much for my tastes.

That's why I am so crushing on him.

And he almost found out why I was so weird back in the closet.

If he found out, then he's going to think I am some sort of freak!

Or will he?

After all, he's pretty understanding of me.

Even after I pushed him away for now…

He should maybe understand why-

Gosh, damn it!

Now he's going to think about why I pushed him away!

And because of that, he's going to connect it to what happened earlier!

W-What do I do?!

How am I going to distract him?

* * *

Sheesh, what was all that about?

First, she was like a gentle kitten, and now a ferocious lion.

And all I did was apologize for almost messing that interaction with Monika.

But Nat was still behaving pretty strangely right after we got out of the closet.

I could have asked her what her line of thought was in there, but she had to put her nose in things.

Hmm, now that I realized it, Monika's pretty nosy.

Well, whatever, this doesn't change the fact that I still have no clue over why she decided to do all that.

That's an indirect kiss, right? So what's that have to do with her being so…

Erotic.

Fucking hell!

Did I really need to go that far?!

"Val?" A small voice called.

I turned to see Yuri hiding behind her poem, as if reluctant to give it to me.

"Oh, Yuri, hey. Wanna trade poems?" I asked.

She gave a small nod, and we handed each other our poems.

I examined the word choice and different uses of literary devices in the poem.

Hmm, so this is Yuri when she is writing.

I lowered the poem to look at the shy girl.

But when she is around people, she's a wreck…

I really hope that she's able to deal with her issues in time.

Otherwise, it's going to be a world where no one can take her seriously.

I widened my eyes at how destructive my words could be.

If I told her how I feel about her timidity, there's no doubt she won't be able to bounce back from it.

Jeez, I think I am getting a little bit of Natsuki off of me.

She's the type of girl to say what she thinks and is unafraid of speaking her mind.

Monika, on the other hand, is straightforward at times, but even she can't speak her mind like her.

Even though I don't see her being straight with me on how she is feeling.

She can be cutthroat on insulting me, but with other things…

I mentally shook my head when I realized Yuri was staring at me awkwardly.

She immediately noticed and hid behind my poem.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to stare! It's just that I really like your poem!" The purple-haired girl stammered.

Huh, she does?

I handed her poem back.

"Likewise, Yuri, likewise. Your poem is filled to the brim with metaphors and hidden messages, huh? It's fun to crack open the mysteries you hideaway." I commented, hoping she would stop being embarrassed.

However, this only seemed to worsen her fidgeting.

"T-T-Thank you! I thought you wouldn't like it… But I am glad that you did." She mumbled.

I should probably leave her alone, especially since she is losing it when around me…

Two days ago, she was just fine, but now?

What's up with her?

"Val? Could I speak with you for a moment?" Monika interjected, interrupting both of us.

Great.

She's here.

I wonder what's she going to do.

"Sure, I guess," I replied, not even bothering to look at her. "Thanks for sharing your poem, Yuri."

The timid girl bowed.

"You're welcome and thank you for sharing yours."

I am still a little pissed off over how she insulted my friends, but there isn't much I can do to stop this from escalating.

Best to keep my anger reined in for the moment.

She motioned me to follow her to a discreet corner, to which I did.

I swear, if she is going to reprimand me about something then I will just walk out there.

Once we were in this corner, she let out a deep sigh and bowed.

Wait, what is she doing?

Is she actually going to-

"I am sorry."

…

…

…

Huh?

"I am sorry for how I insulted you, your friends, and what you did with your time. I should have known that you wouldn't anything of the sort, but I didn't. Instead, I decided to play you for a fool, something that backfired intentionally. You always did care about your friends before you moved, and I was an idiot for hitting you with those insults. So for what it's worth, I am sorry. If there is anything I can do to make it up for you, just tell me, Val."

Instead of being immature and playing a game of cat and mouse, she instead...

She went in and apologized.

Even though I am a tiny bit angry at her, I can't help but feel proud and joyful over the fact that she knows what maturity really is.

Right now…

Right now is the time to let go of this petty grudge.

Even if it only lasted a day.

With a relieved smile, I gave her a curt nod.

"Thanks for apologizing, Monika. What you did yesterday was immature, but today isn't. Taking steps to apologize and make amends are signs of maturity. So I am a little proud that you stepped up." I stated.

Her green eyes twinkled with mirth before smiling back.

"That makes me happy, Val." She muttered before frowning. "Wait, do you accept my apology or…"

I nodded again.

"Yeah, I do. I accept your apology, Mon. You don't have to do anything for me. Apologizing, to me, is more than enough." I reassured.

Her smile came back once more before hugging me.

I hugged her back.

Glad things didn't turn out worse than they are already are.

And it's good to have her back.

* * *

The club meeting ended pretty early, mainly because of the bad weather right now.

It was raining outside, but it seemed as if it was going to be worse, so all clubs had to wrap up for today.

Alright!

Now Val and I can do that cute scene where we share an umbrella!

Fortunately, I brought an umbrella just in case if he didn't bring one.

But if he did bring one, then I will merely… misplace this.

I put anything I didn't need in my locker and ran over to wherever Val was.

There can't be anyone with him right now, especially since I ran out before he noticed!

Doing this would really help me with my manga and can also get me closer to the baka.

As soon as I got there, I saw him near his locker and with what I assume to be his friends.

I pressed myself against the wall and peeked to see what he was doing.

Hmm, I hope they aren't going to ask him to go with him.

But if they do…

Well, I guess I got the sleepover to help lift the spirits!

"Yo, Brooklyn; Hiro, Dan and I are gonna hit the arcades, and scope them. You want in?" Tom offered.

Shit!

So that's what they were talking about!

That new virtual reality first-person shooter!

Aww, I want to go too…

Val simply shook his head.

"I am not feeling it. Don't get me wrong, I would love to join in, but I have to be home early today. And not to mention, the weather sucks ass. I mean, look outside! It's gonna be worse later on."

One of his friends nodded, understanding his circumstances.

"That's cool. But you gonna be on for the night?" He asked.

Val was about to answer but immediately clamped his mouth shut.

He then looked away and blushed.

I also felt the heat in my cheeks.

Oh yeah…

It's going to be weird for a girl to sleepover at a guy's house.

Especially since they aren't friends!

Uuuu, what is he going to say?

Is he going to lie at the spot or-

"Ahahaha! Look at him! He's hiding something!" The other friend teased.

Val frowned and glared at him.

"Ugh, fuck you, Hiro. Yeah, I am hiding something, and I don't feel so comfortable talking about it!" He exclaimed.

Tom then nudged at the elbow, also smirking with his friends.

"It has something to do with what happened earlier, huh? That's perfectly understandable, Brooky-boy." He teased.

Val and I blushed harder.

I felt my heart thump from what he was going to say next.

"Look, I am helping a girl with something, alright? And so, I volunteered to help her! Is that such a bad thing to hide?" He pointed out, frowning from all the teasing he was getting.

They all went ballistic.

"Noooo waaay!"

"Oh boy, she's one lucky girl."

"Val growing up in our eyes… it's so precious."

He simply rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off, Dan. I always wanted to wait until Monika got here so I can snag one, but…"

Wait. What?

What does she have to do with getting a girlfriend?

Argh…

Monika…!

"I realized, fuck that. If I fall in love, then I will fall in love, and if she has a problem, then that's on her." He confidently said.

I felt my face catch on fire when he said that.

Did he…

Did he just indirectly confess his love?

If he falls in love then…

Then he already made his decision.

Is it me?

"Atta boy, you got a spine now," Dan commented. "Keep it. Confidence is always something needed in relationships. Be that in love, business, or family."

"Anyway…" Hiro rolled along. "Who's the lucky girl?"

Tom then put his hand on his shoulder.

"Nah, that isn't in our place to know. That's his business." He stated.

Val widened his eyes once he realized what he said.

"Um… Actually, guys, I don't really know." He answered.

…

…

…

I am this close to ripping his damn head off!

Are you kidding me?!

"But… I might have something going on here. I am just a little confused about these feelings. I… uh, was never really good with this romance thing."

Oh, thank goodness.

There's still hope.

Wait a minute. Maybe I can spin this into my favor!

Since he is all confused, I can flirt with him, and he would have feelings for me!

No…

That wouldn't work.

He said, if he falls in love, then he is love.

There isn't really much changing that.

So what do I do?

"It's cool, Val. You need some time to think about it." Dan answered. "But don't take too long, or else you will regret it. Trust me."

He nodded.

"Alright, love doctor. I will do what you say."

They exchanged their goodbyes, and Val went back to packing up.

If he is thinking about it and is going to act on them soon, then when will he confess?

"Nat?" A voice called.

Shit!

I felt the onyx colored eyes gaze at me.

"Um… hey."

Seriously?!

This is the best I can do?!

"Nat, I thought you would be home by now. You know, since we have a sleepover at my house?"

He caught me!

And now it's going to be super awkward to convince him on doing that scene!

Val was now staring at me worryingly.

"Is everything alright?" He asked before walking up to me.

Without even realizing it, he put his hand on my shoulder, to which I flinched.

"Ah! Y-Yeah! I am fine, baka! Get your hands off me!" I answered without even thinking.

He looked a bit puzzled from my behavior.

"Right… Anyway, what's up?"

I drove myself into a corner!

Now how am I going to get myself out?!

"W-Well, I thought that you would have an umbrella on you or something. I-It's not like I wanted to walk with you or anything!"

He rolled his eyes.

"If you don't want to walk with me, then feel free to ask one of the girls to lend you one. I didn't bring one with me, so I am gonna run home." Val answered, now locking his locker.

I am just making things worse!

Damn it, anime!

Those were my automatic responses!

"Well, luckily for you, I got an umbrella!" I declared, before pulling it out. "Tada!"

…

I messed up again!

"What? Then what was the point of asking me if I have an umbrella if you have one?!" He yelled, entirely baffled by my actions.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

"I-I um, I…"

If I can load an earlier save file, that would be really nice.

In a last-ditch effort, I puffed my cheeks out.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Val, you baka! Did you forget that you were going to help me with my manga?! This is the perfect time to help me with one particular scene!" I exclaimed.

He blinked a couple of times.

"I didn't forget…? I still don't know why you asked me if I had an umbrella or not." He pointed out.

Come on, me.

Think of something!

"IT'S SO WE CAN ACT OUT A SCENE!" I yelled. "Sheesh! If you really want to help me, then at least try! Since it's raining outside, we can both share an umbrella. You know like one of those rom-com animes and mangas."

He smirked from my tirade.

"Riiiight, Nat I can see right through you, ya know? If I didn't know any better, then this was just a weird excuse to make it my fault. But what do I know?"

I blushed and hung my head in shame.

"Yeah… you're right. Partially."

"Huh?"

I smirked at him.

"My intent still is true, baka. We are still going to do that scene! So let's get moving!"

Without much of a warning, I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the exit of the school.

"W-Wait! I need to zip up my bag!"

I tried to stifle a giggle, but couldn't as we reached the exit.

"Zip while you can, cowboy! We're almost there!"

Once we were there, I opened the door.

* * *

There we were greeted by the soft sounds of raindrops hitting the pavement and the pitter-patter on the roof.

It's starting to get worse, and it was supposed to rain yesterday but didn't.

And now we are going to pay for that today.

Natsuki released my hand to which I pulled away quickly.

To think a girl like her can drag me around like that.

And not to mention how much my heart thumps whenever we are holding hands…

Shit, snap out of it me.

Nat then opened up her umbrella.

It was a pink umbrella with white polka-dots adorned all over it.

That's one cute umbrella.

"Ready?" She asked with a smirk.

I took a look at the umbrella and then back at her.

"Yeah… that umbrella is probably not going to be enough." I stated, a bit worried about the size of it.

She scoffed at me.

"Pfff! We'll be fine! This umbrella is large enough for both of us, don't worry!" She assured.

Nat then stepped into the rain.

For a second, everything around me felt as if it was going in slow motion.

All I could focus on was her and the rain around her.

The droplets were visible for me to see, and I saw the reflections of her in them.

Her pink twin-tails swayed along with her movements, flying free in whatever direction they were in.

She smiled, a smile so bright that it was able to light up my world.

I noticed her cute fang and how toothy her pearly-whites were, and how…

Happy, she looked.

And because of that, I smiled back.

Natsuki noticed my smiled and motioned over to me.

"Don't just stand there, dummy! Come on!"

I walked to her and went under her umbrella.

She handed me the umbrella, and I raised it for myself.

"The rain is amazing right now, right?" The pink-haired girl asked.

I looked down to her and saw her fang poking out.

Her fang somehow was able to poke my heart.

"Yeah…" I dreamily said, now taking my first steps towards home.

We started to walk together and marveled at the rain.

I always did like the rain, but for some reason…

It's a bit different in the right way.

Why is that?

Is it because I am with Natsuki?

Does she make the rain more…

Alluring or whatever?

It doesn't matter.

Because right now, I am enjoying the rain with her.

"Val?" She called.

I looked towards her.

"You know, manga aside, I think this is pretty nice. Just the two of us, walking… It's feeling a that there's nothing wrong with the world, ya know?"

I smirked, feeling a strange need to tease her.

"Really? I think it's nice to have a girl walking with me in the rain." I snarkily replied.

But before she could get out a reaction, thunder cracked in the sky.

Without warning, Natsuki squeezed me in fear.

"Aaaah!" She squealed.

Not going to lie, I am actually a bit startled by the thunder.

But I am a bit more startled by her hugging me!

Instead of feeling embarrassed from the sudden hug, my mind, or rather, my nose turned to another direction.

My nostrils were invaded with a sweet aroma, emanating from her hair.

Oh wow…

Does her hair always smell like strawberries?

Somehow that was able to knock me back to the same state as before.

Are you serious Me?!

Nat's frightened, and here I am, sniffing her hair!

Gaaah, what's wrong with me?

"Hey, you okay?" I asked warily, hoping that she would feel a little better.

She shuddered a little before pushing me away, which caught my ire.

"I-I-I'm fine, you baka! It's not like I am scared of lightning or anything!" She excused.

My ire dissipated when I realized that she was still scared.

"Nat, I can tell you're scared of the thundercrack. There's no point in hiding it in front of me." I calmly said.

Natsuki hung her head in shame.

"I hate how I always get startled by lightning. I thought I grew out of it! B-But it looks like I didn't. I am so pathetic… and I bet everyone else doesn't get scared of it either."

I smiled and put my hand on her head, to which she looked up.

"Hey, did you know that Monika is also scared of lightning?" I stated.

She raised an eyebrow out of confusion.

"Monika is scared of that? All of all, things that?"

I nodded casually.

"Deathly afraid of it. If there's the slightest hint of it somewhere, then she has a mini panic attack! Trust me, I saw it multiple times, and I always had to comfort her."

That reminds me…

I wonder how Monika's doing.

Did she grow out of that fear while in Ainu?

"Hehe… I guess that's one thing we share in common with each other."

I gave her a modest head pat.

"Maybe so, maybe so. Anyway, you could hold my hand if it makes you feel comfortable." I suggested.

Her face started to burn up even more.

"O-Okay…"

She then shyly reached out for my hand and grabbed it.

I gave her a small squeeze to which she turned her head away.

Like I said before, she's as gentle as a kitten now.

We continued to walk in silence, with the recurring lightning come here and there.

However, whenever it came, Natsuki squeezed my hand to which I pressed back.

Slowly but surely, I felt her becoming increasingly uneasy, especially since the rain started to pour even harder.

And as a result, she started to take more than just my hand.

Nat spread across my arm, taking it hostage and making sure that I couldn't escape at all.

I shot her with a confused look to which she simply "hmphed" and turned away.

But this is my arm…

Well, whatever I guess.

If this helps her with getting the storm, then I guess it can't be a bad thing.

Even if this does feel a little weird.

Not to mention, that weird warm feeling in my heart is back again.

What is this feeling?

Is this…

Love?

No, it can't be.

Right?

But then again, I feel a lot lighter when I am around her, even if she is a little confusing at times.

Well, whatever this is, I hope I can explore it a little more.

* * *

As I held onto Val's arm, I felt a lot more secure and at the same time, vulnerable.

It hasn't rained at all in Ainu, so there wasn't any thunder.

To think that I would actually be still scared of thunder.

But then again, Monika shares the same fear, so I guess it isn't a bad thing, right?

Also, Val is just so damn hot when he tries to make things right.

That being, coddling me so I can feel better.

I really can't put up a strong face when he does all that.

Anyway, I wonder how I would behave if he found out what I was planning.

Would I drop this weird tsundere behavior around him?

Or what?

And these weird scenes that I am telling him to do so he can fall in love with me, they better work!

…

Aw, who am I kidding?

I don't even know if it is working or not.

He's sometimes a generic MC from some harem manga to the most understanding MC known!

It is pretty difficult to get a read on him!

"Hey, Nat… We should get a move on. The rain's starting to pick up." He warned, looking around him.

Oh shit.

The rain was starting to pour a lot harder now, as now we can barely see anything ahead of us.

Now, that doesn't look good.

Fortunately, I still know the way back home-

*PLOP*

"Huh?" I let out, looking up.

What just-

*PLOP*

"Nat? What's wrong?" Oh…"

The umbrella was now starting to leak water.

"That's not good…" Val commented, now picking up the pace.

I sped up as well.

"Yeah, I didn't know it would be this bad! Don't worry. We're going the right way! My house's up ahead- Wah!"

A gust of wind blew underneath us, hitting our faces with cold water.

"We gotta leg it from here! Come- Argh!"

Another gust hit us, this time disarming Val.

The umbrella flew in the wind, now in complete shambles and disarray.

Aw!

I liked that umbrella!

"Get behind me! Now!"

In my moment of pity, I yelped when Val forcibly readjusted and grabbed my hand; now starting to run with me.

"Waaah! What the heck, Val?! You could at least warned me!" I yelled as the rain started pouring onto us.

*BOOM*

I flinched from the lightning but remained steadfast under his grip.

"Can it! It was that or get completely drenched, now move it!" He ordered something that caught me off guard.

Oh…

I like this side of Val.

He is so… demanding.

Oh yeah…

…

…

…

Am I seriously getting turned on by his yelling?!

I kept my mouth shut and ran with him while he shielded me from most of the rain.

As we ran to wherever Val was taking me, I couldn't help but find this whole ordeal as romantic.

The two of us running in the rain, trying to make it home…

One has a crush and is holding his hand with the said crush…

But the crush is unaware of how much she is in love with him.

Ahh… that would be a great manga.

Wait, I should probably start this manga from scratch instead of diving into the mess I am making right now…

Maybe I can tell him about it, and he might help me create it.

Maybe…

We continued to run until we ran out of breath and found some cover under a closed store.

Val and I were panting over how much we ran.

"Great. Look at how hard it's pouring! As they say back home, (It's raining cats and dogs out here.)" He irritatedly ranted.

English…

The way he speaks that language is so hot.

He doesn't have an accent when he speaks it.

Shit!

I totally forgot about our deal!

Hey, when we get to our sleepover, I can get my first lesson there!

"Val, could I ask you a question?" I asked.

Alright, ask him if he can give me a lesson.

This shouldn't be too hard.

"(Hmm? Yeah, what is it?)" He answered in English.

Huh?

Did he answer me in English?

The way he articulates the words…

I never knew it could be this attractive.

"Could you only speak to me in English?" I unconsciously asked.

…

Whaaaa?!

How-why-what-

Did I ask him that?!

He raised an eyebrow.

"(What? Why?)" Val asked back.

I saw the confusion in his eyes before turning into realization.

"Oh… I was speaking in English, wasn't I? My bad, sometimes I slip into that language without realizing it. After all, I was raised speaking that language." He apologized, bowing before me.

As he bowed, I took a chance at gazing at his onyx hair.

It's so shiny…

I can almost feel them in my fingers.

That's another thing to add while we are sleeping over!

Argh!

Focus me. I asked him a stupid question because I was so into his language!

Get a grip and get out of this!

But the way he spoke it...

"It's okay. But it's going to be better if you only speak to me in English!" I teased, again without realizing it.

Damn it!

He shook his head.

"So I heard you properly… Why would you want me to talk to you in English? Didn't you say that English was your weakest subject?" He pointed out.

I couldn't help but pout at him, despite my mind saying not to.

"Awww, come on! I can probably learn faster by doing that!"

Stop it, stop it, stop it!

He sighed.

"I'll think about it. For now, let's try to dry up. We are completely drenched, remember?" He dismissed while wringing the water out of his uniform.

Thank goodness he was able to get me out of that situation…

I started to wring my clothes to get out the water in my uniform until I noticed him stretching.

My eyes wandered to his soaked body and checked him out.

It's still summer, so he doesn't have his blazer on.

All he has on right now is just his white dress shirt.

So that means...

Oooh…

I can see through his shirt, thanks to how soaked it is.

Since he brought that he goes to the gym, I wanted to see his progress.

"Hey, Nat. Do you mind looking away for a second, please?" He requested.

Looks like he is going to take his shirt off!

I was aware of how perverted I was right now, but at this point, there was no reason to reprimand myself.

"Oh sure thing, hunk. I'll turn around, just for you…" I flirtatiously answered.

Hey, instead of berating myself on how weird I come off, why not embrace the dark side?

What's the worst that can happen?

"Hunk? Uh, thanks… I guess."

I turned around, to which he followed.

Time to peek.

Without him noticing, I turned around and started ogling him.

The guy I crushed so hard on took off his shirt, slowly due to how water sticking on to him.

His back…

It's pretty defined, but lean as well.

Val then shifted, allowing a better view of his front, but still looking down to his shirt...

My eyes immediately shifted to the chest area.

A broad chest with some noticeable pecs…

His biceps and triceps are pretty lean too.

Finally, I looked down at his abdominals.

But I was disappointed by what I saw.

Aww, he has no abs?!

"Nat, I am not a bodybuilder. I am just a guy who goes to the gym to get gains." He stated, calmly.

All the color in my face faded once he noticed me.

He…

He knew I was staring?!

"The look in your eyes says it all. 'Why doesn't this guy have any abs?' It's simple. I do have abs, I mean we all do, but if I want to make them pronounced like those bodybuilders and models, then I really have to hit the cardio and shred some fat. Reducing my fat count to around 5% is something I don't even want to go around, cause I have to give up a lot of food. And I like food." Val explained.

Oh, that explains why many don't have abs.

Wait, this doesn't fix anything!

He continued.

"Anyway, I knew you were staring at me from the get-go, Nat."

W-What?!

"I-I-I'm sorry! Alright?! I got curious, and I wanted to see your progress from hitting the gym, baka! And it turns out you got some noticeable results, okay?!" I hurriedly apologized.

I am so screwed. I am so screwed!

"This" was the worst that could have happened and I totally could have avoided it!

He only chuckled at me.

"It's fine, Nat. It really is. I don't mind if it is just you watching." He pervertedly remarked.

…

W-What?

He widened his eyes when he realized what he said.

"I-I mean… since you are a good friend and all, haha. Sorry if it sounded a little weird there."

My head felt light as if I was going to faint any second now.

To think this guy…

This guy can pull a stunt like that.

Yeah, he is definitely the one.

By saying something like that made me weak in my knees!

We both turned away and blushed.

How do I make things up to him?

I looked towards the rain to calm me down.

What can I do?

Val was also staring at the rain, groaning at how hard it was raining.

"The rain isn't letting up… Nat, you really need to wring the water out of your clothes." He worriedly pointed out

And he is still worried about me!

Gosh, he is so…

Yeah.

I waved my hand at him.

"Don't worry about me, Val. I'll rinse them out when we get home."

Hopefully, I guess.

Without warning, he put his hands on my shoulders and spun me around.

"Nat, you're gonna get sick if you don't rinse it out! Just do it! I won't look! Not that I would like to anyway..."

For some inexplicable reason, I felt self-conscious.

He won't look because…

He has no reason to.

I balled my fists up and pushed him away.

"Why not, eh?! Is it because I have a non-existent chest or somethin'?! Well, yer damn right! But guess what! I don't care!" I yelled, feeling hurt from his words.

No…

I seriously really do care.

His expression turned serious almost immediately.

"No! I didn't mean it like that! I-I meant like; I respect you to the point I-"

"You what?! That you treat me like a guy, instead of a girl, huh?!" I insecurely shouted at him. "If I-I had a bigger chest like Yuri, Monika, or even Sayori, then you would probably-"

"Treat you the same!" He yelled back.

When he yelled at me, I shut up.

Val sighed in defeat.

"Look, Natsuki. What I meant to say is that, as neck-beardish, it would sound but... I really would treat you with the same respect I show to everyone. I don't want you to feel embarrassed or violated because of me. I don't think I have the guts actually to look at someone stripping in front of me. So that's why I said that." He explained.

Oh…

So that's what he meant.

I immediately bowed something I haven't done in a while.

"I am sorry." I sincerely apologized. "I shouldn't have said all that, and I let my insecurities get the best of me."

He put a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay, Nat. I understand, sort of. Now, please rinse the water out. I am gonna turn around for you, okay?"

I nodded and let him turn.

Once he did, I took off my dress shirt and started to wring it.

"Val, I know it's gonna be weird for me to ask you this but… what's your chest type?"

I could sense him being caught off-guard by the question.

"T-That's a pretty weird question, but um… I'll try to answer that. I… don't think I have a preferred chest size. Chest size and hunger go hand in hand; if a person is hungry, they will prefer bigger chests, but a person is full, then they will prefer smaller chests. Me? I am more of an ass guy." He honestly replied.

An ass guy?

I never thought about my butt, but…

Maybe it's big?

"Um… Val? Do you… Do you think my ass is-"

"Yes, yes, it is. Can we please stop talking about this?!" He replied, interrupting me mid-sentence.

Something's up.

"Wait, since when did you check me out? I thought you didn't type of guy to check girls out!" I pointed out.

He groaned.

"You're right. I don't do that sort of thing! It's just… well, remember that one time, where you sucker punched me and tried to make me submit?"

What?!

"The hell are you talking about?! I never did that! Why would I sucker punch you?!" I hastily asked.

He was taken aback.

"You didn't? Remember when we first met?"

I shook my head vigorously, remembering no collection of doing any of that.

"No! I don't remember doing that at all! That would be a complete bitch move, Val!"

This is strange…

Too strange.

"Huh, I could've sworn… Ah, well, nevermind. Point is…" He went on, taking a deep breath and looking me in the eye.

"Natsuki. You got one smoking piece of ass."


	14. Sleepover(Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

There, I said it.

I said the things that I don't usually or want to say.

Especially since that "thing" should be kept to myself or when we are a couple.

My heart started to pound at the thought of us being a couple.

Nevermind that, but saying she has one nice ass is pretty…

Weird.

I looked up at the girl.

Nat was staring off into the distance blankly, as if not being able to comprehend what I said.

Shit, what do I do now?

Do I explain myself or…

Her staring got worse when her cheeks reddened.

I might as well.

But if I do, then…

Wouldn't that also make things worse?

"My butt…" She muttered. "Is it that attractive?"

I mentally groaned on how I got to this point.

How the fuck did I get here?!

"Uh, yeah. It kind of is. Look, I said my piece, now can we get a move on? The rain is starting to lessen up."

She let out a shaky sigh, something that made me uneasy.

"Nat?"

Without much of a warning, she hugged me.

For some reason, everything in my body started to give out strange signals.

We hugged before!

Why am I feeling so weird all of a sudden?

"You really know how to flatter a girl, Val. I bet you break a couple of hearts with what you say." She enigmatically stated.

Breaking a couple of hearts…

I think I know how that feels.

Why is that?

I awkwardly hugged back, somewhat because of the height difference.

"Hey, hunk." She called, causing me to tense up.

H-Hunk?

"Tell me why you like my butt so much."

My heart pounded as she asked that question.

Why do I like her butt…?

"Umm, well… since we both remember things differently… I guess I kind of checked you out. While I was running to school when you guys transferred, there were skirts all around me, but I didn't really care that much about it since I had priorities." I started to explain.

I took a deep breath and started to reminisce on what happened that day.

"As perverted as it sounds but, I was running, for some reason, your skirt stuck out for some reason. I was confused as to why it did and well, you know what happened then."

That's right, I almost trampled over her.

And I also was able to cop an unintentional feel over her butt.

"So you were the one who touched me for a second that day." She muttered.

The cupcake then pulled her head away from me and smirked.

"Don't worry, I know you didn't mean to. But you still touched me. So… how did it feel?"

Argh, why is she being so…

Well in layman's terms.

So arousing?!

"I-I don't remember, but I know it was- You know what? Forget it." I frustratingly dismissed.

Natsuki rested her chin on my chin and pouted.

"Come on! Tell me everything!" She cutely requested, to which I shook my head to a 'no'. "Pretty please? Pretty please with a strawberry on top?"

Strawberry?

The girl kept giving cute whines and puppy eyes to make me answer.

And it was pushing me to the brink of sanity.

Just answer it me, and leave it be.

She's just waaaay too cute for me now.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh! When I did touch you BY mistake, I was surprised that you carried such a package." I stated while looking away.

I heard her take a breath in, almost in surprise but crushing me in another hug.

Wait!

She's wet!

"Urk! Nat!" I called, hoping she would get the message.

Instead, the cupcake kept hugging me.

And when she did, the girl snuggled her head into my chest.

"Hmm?" She hummed.

Damn it, now I am even wetter than I was before!

But then again, I don't mind the hugging.

It makes me feel alive.

Nevertheless, I decided to call her off.

"Could you, well you know, stop hugging me? It's making my progress on getting dry worthless." I strangely worded.

I felt her shift when she heard my words.

"Huh?" She let out.

In an instant, the pink-haired girl pushed herself off of me and turned her back against me.

That was a bit of an extreme reaction…

"Jeez, baka. Can't you see that I am showing you some gratitude? It's not every day that a girl like me would get compliments about her body!" She yelled.

Wait, what?

A girl like her?

Does that mean she is insecure…?

"Whatever! Let's just go!" She roared, now taking my hand and dragging me into the now drizzling rain.

These gains are practically worthless if a girl her size can carry me around like this!

We continued to walk towards her home at a brisk pace, without a word being said between us.

Fortunately, we were finally there in a moment's notice.

And by then the rain has started to pick up in intensity once more.

We were under a store cover to which I was a little confused.

"Hey, Nat… where's your house?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, why don't you look behind you, baka." She retorted.

I turned around to see a bakery that was still open for business, despite the weather.

"Oh," I muttered. "So you live here, huh?"

The pink-haired girl giggled at me.

"Ahahaha! You're such a dweeb, baka. Of course, I do. I lived here all my life and I'm proud to call it home."

My heart jumped at her melodic giggle, which made me frown.

"Yeah, whatever." I dismissed, trying to hide my flustered state.

However, I was secretly relieved that she wasn't annoyed like how she was a few moments ago.

Anyway...

So that's why she is so gifted in making sweets.

Her house is a bakery!

Without much of a warning, the girl took my hand once more and pulled me inside the store.

Again, the thoughts of how she held my hands made me feel strange.

Why is that whenever we hold hands, I can feel something tingling inside of me?

Not to mention when we were about to go out in the rain, I called this weird feeling love.

Is it Love?

No… right?

I mean, we only met for a couple of days and spoke at that time.

But I am getting strong sensations saying that I met her even before that.

That doesn't make any sense, though.

I don't remember meeting Natsuki when I was a child.

Monika was my first childhood friend in this country…

Right?

Argh, my head isn't thinking properly!

If I feel love whenever I am around her, does that mean I am in love?

…

Time was slowed down to the point that nothing was moving.

And I still couldn't get a proper answer.

She was getting close to the door, prompting me to bust a move.

This is a bad idea...

I don't think I am in any condition to stay over at a girl's house, let alone be introduced to her parents just yet.

My state of mind right now isn't the best of places and I need to think things out.

Being around Natsuki is going to make things worse for sure.

And so, I managed to stop her and stand my ground.

"Natsuki wait." I simply said, to which she snapped to me.

She had a glare on but saw my rather neutral frown, to which she softened up.

"W-What's wrong?" She stammered, apparently taken off-guard by my serious look.

Now's my chance.

"I think I can leg it from here." I simply answered. "The rain is starting to let up for just a few moments."

Her pink eyes flickered with worry from what I said.

"E-Eh? What are you talking about? You're definitely going to get a cold if you go outside again!"

I put up my hand to stop her, her lips contorting to an anxious frown.

"Don't worry, I take cold showers every day and this is nothing. I won't get sick that easily."

I felt her squeeze my hand, as if not wanting to let me go.

"Are we still going to have our sleepover at your house? I mean, argh! Dry up first then go with an umbrella if you need to!"

The thunder cracked in the sky, prompting her to squeal in surprise and cling onto me.

"Ack! Jeez!"

However, I was relatively unaffected.

My head was in jargon and I couldn't really pay attention to what was happening around me.

"I… I think I will be fine either way." I reassured. "I'll take a warm bath once I get home."

She squeezed me in her bind, still scared of letting go.

"No, wait! Don't go! We can have our sleepover here! I have a spare kotatsu that I can sleep in, and my parents wouldn't mind you here, so don't worry!" The cupcake hurriedly assured.

She really wants me here…

And I am just pushing her away.

Gosh, what is wrong with me?

I gently pushed her off, to which she frowned and still latched on.

She's hurt.

I let out a heavy sigh, still not trusting myself of what could happen later.

"About that… The weather is going to get worse. We should cancel the sleepover."

…

…

…

"W-What? Oh…" Was all she can let out.

The pink-haired girl pulled herself away from me.

I'm sorry.

My head is not in the right spot right now.

I guess the least I can do is reschedule it.

"Wait, I think we could-"

Before I can get even a few words out, Natsuki's face contorted in pain.

It was as if she was trying to hold her tears in.

My eyes widened at what was going to happen.

She's…

She's about to cry because of me.

Her body started to shake but she tried to cover it up by crossing her arms.

I am such a horrible person.

And it's all because I was selfish.

Natsuki was looking forward to spending more time with me, and instead, I am pushing her away.

But I really need some time to think for myself.

I don't trust myself right now.

Against my better judgment and well being, I decided to do the right thing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, Natsuki. It's just that, I need to-"

The words I were saying betrayed my intentions as if it was a last resort to get me home.

Stop it!

I can't hurt her like this!

She started to rub her eyes.

"It's okay… I understand." Natsuki whispered. "It's not fair for me to hog you like this. You deserve to hang out with other people."

I balled my fists at what she was saying.

So... she is insecure.

I took a deep breath in and tried to recompose myself.

"No, no. It's nothing like that. It's-"

I stopped myself from saying another word.

But if I let her know why I need to leave, then that bad feeling in my gut is gonna explode…

Why?

Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen if I her tell that?

"It's okay." She repeated.

No...

To prevent any more of this to continue, I gripped her shoulders.

I don't care about this weird feeling in my gut.

She looked up to me with tears in her eyes.

Natsuki deserves to know.

She was always straight with me, so I have to show the same respect.

I immediately felt like shit.

"Natsuki. It's nothing like that, I swear. I do want to spend more time and get to know you better. It's that there is a weird feeling inside of me right now, and it's making me all confused." I explained.

Her eyes widened for a split second as if in disbelief.

There I said it.

And that feeling my gut is going nuts.

I don't feel so good…

"Oh… okay."

She did believe my words, but I had a good feeling that it was something else.

Something that I couldn't quite understand.

"Look, Nat… Will you feel better if I do agree to have a sleepover with you?"

She answered with a weak nod.

And with that, I hugged her to calm her down.

Once we were done hugging, I took her hand and went inside the store with her.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded again.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for explaining yourself. It made me happy that you didn't want to hide your reasons. And also, I forgive you. I'm sorry that I… assumed that from you."

I gave her some headpats.

"Don't worry, I am not angry at all. In fact, I forgive you too. Now let's go in."

Wow…

For some reason, this apology was actually kind of seamless.

Natsuki is a lot easier to apologize than Monika.

Argh, I should try to stop mentioning her.

We pushed the door open together, our hands never separating.

I could feel the heat in my cheeks starting to gather when I realized that we were still holding hands.

This is something couples would do, but I don't mind holding hands with her…

And no matter how many times I tell myself that and how embarrassed I should be feeling…

It's all worth it to see her bright, vibrant smile bring color to my world.

Just like that time in the rain.

Everything slowed down and all I saw was her in the rain...

A distinctive, yet eerily familiar chime rang as we walked in.

My mind immediately was able to register the chime as something I heard before.

What the-

I could have sworn that I heard this chime before!

To add to my confusion, the warm aroma of bread struck me.

All around me was bread, sweets, and other treats.

And this smell…

It feels like I was here a long time ago.

This was before I met Monika in the park.

But I can't help but feel that I know what this place is.

Why does it all look so familiar?

"Mama, Papa! I'm home!" Natsuki announced while squeezing my hand.

When she squeezed me, I felt my heart spark to life.

It's that weird feeling again.

Jeez, the rain is making me all weird, I know it.

What is up with these strange feelings?

If this is how love feels then...

Then I guess it isn't all that bad or-

All of a sudden, a man wearing an apron walked in from the back of the store.

He was walking rather slowly, before seeing both of us drenched in the rain.

"Ah! Natsuki! You're here!" The man said, to which I assumed was his father.

He scrambled to find a towel for her, still not acknowledging my presence.

Once he found one, he walked up to her and started to rub off any water in her hair or body.

It was there that I started to let go of my grip on her hand.

However, once I did she would grab a hold of my hand once more, with a tighter grip.

She's just like Monika that one time we went to the supermarket!

Just like that day before she left for Ainu...

"Where did your umbrella go? I thought you had it with you before you went to school!" He exclaimed while still rubbing her head.

Natsuki gripped her dad's wrist and pushed him away gently, scowling at him.

"Ugh, Papa I am not a kid anymore! I can dry myself too, ya know! And the umbrella broke under the rain, the wind ripped it apart, so we had to run here."

He raised an eyebrow.

"We?"

The man finally turned to me and widened his eyes.

He glanced towards me and the hand holding we were doing.

I immediately tore myself off Natsuki's hand and cleared my throat.

Stay calm me and introduce myself properly.

"H-Hello there. My name's Jal Vones and I am a friend of Satnuki."

…

Fuck!

Natsuki facepalmed herself once she processed exactly what I said.

"Argh, you baka… Papa, he meant his name is Val Jones and he is a friend of mine. We met in the literature club we made."

He grimaced at me and leaned in.

"So you're the punk trying to take my daughter away, huh?"

Punk?

How the hell am I a punk?!

"I don't understand how you got to that conclusion."

Wait, we were JUST holding hands a while ago!

That statement is completely null and void!

The man crossed his arms and glared at me.

"You were holding hands with my daughter and are friends with her! But wait, the word 'friend' doesn't really apply here, does it? Brat."

Brat?

Now I'm a brat?!

"Ugh, Papa, he's holding hands with me because of the project I am doing. The research that I am getting done is… vital." She half-truthfully stated.

I was taken aback by how Natsuki was able to answer her father with ease.

Wow…

She isn't lying, that's one thing for sure.

But Nat's leaving out some important details.

He humphed and gave me an uninterested look.

"Oh, so now you're too good for my daughter, eh brat? Why I outta…! My daughter's-"

"Yamato-san, are you bothering this poor man?" A voice sternly asked.

Huh, honorifics…

That's something I don't hear every day.

And his name is Yamato…

Didn't I hear that name somewhere?

It feels like I know him when I was younger…

But that's impossible, I don't remember his face.

Right?

Yamato turned around to see the woman right behind him.

I raised an eyebrow at who it was.

The woman looked similar to Natsuki in a way but looked much older than she was.

Wait, that woman called this guy Yamato-san, so she can't be Natsuki's sister at all.

Then that means that…

…

That's her mom?!

She doesn't even look that old!

"Ah, no! Of course not!" He assured, now walking up to me and putting his arm around my back.

Suffice to say, I was too amused to be the tiniest bit annoyed or irritated.

This guy is scared of his wife, haha!

His wife didn't really seem to bite and pulled his ear down.

"Ya think I am an idiot, Yamato- **san**? I saw the hol' thing go down an' you aren't even innocent!" She pointed out, somewhat angrily.

My amusement grew to the point that I had both my eyebrows raised up.

"Sakura, I'm sorry! Look, I didn't mean anything by it! I was suspicious! It's hard to keep down that sniper spirit!" He tried to excuse.

Again, his wife was unaffected and seemed to get angrier.

"Your sniper spirit messed up a batch of bread we worked on this morning! So don't come to me with that, Yamato-san."

He sighed to which his wife let go of his reddened ear.

"Sakura, can you please drop the honorifics? I am your husband!"

The woman crossed her arms and smiled, showing a prominent fang hanging on the edge of lips.

So that's where she gets it from.

"I will if you drop being so overprotective over our daughter, Yamato- **san**. She is more than old enough to know which crowd not to hang around with. And by the looks of it, she got a looker."

What the-

My face burned up with that compliment and so I looked away.

"Mama! Come on! He's not my boyfriend! He's… just a really good friend of mine!" Natsuki struggled to say.

She playfully rolled her eyes as a result.

"Ah, I know. I am kidding, silly."

Sakura then turned her attention to me.

Despite me looking off in the distance, I knew she was looking straight at me.

And so, I looked up to her.

She smirked and bowed.

"It's nice to meet you again, Val."

Again?

But before I could ask her what she meant by that, the door blew right open, the storm now forcing its way into the store.

The wind managed to knock over some tables and pastries, prompting me to take immediate action.

I instinctively managed to push through the gusts and close the door, stopping any more destruction from happening.

Holy shit, what's up with the weather?!

With my back against the door, I sighed.

Looks like I will have to ask later.

"You're fast on your feet. Any more of those winds, there would have been no way to close that door like the way you did. Nice work, brat." Yamato complimented while picking up the pastries that have fallen over by the wind.

I gave him a rather irked look and nodded at the two ahead of me.

With that, I pushed myself off the door and walked over to them, with Sakura handing me a towel to dry myself.

I marveled the soft fabric of the towel, something that I desperately wanted ever since I was drenched.

"Thanks for the towel." I thanked while rubbing my hair.

Sakura put her hands on her hips and smiled.

"You're welcome. Now, what brings you here, Val?" She asked.

As soon as I was about to reply, Natsuki cut me to it.

"We planned on having a sleepover at his house since his parents don't mind. But since the rainstorm is here, we really didn't get a chance to get there." She explained. "Since it's (raining cats and dogs) could Val stay?"

That was her speaking English…

Wow.

The way she described the weather was perfect.

Her diction and enunciation were on point!

If that's her worst subject, then I wonder what's her best subject…

Her parents exchanged glances, to which they both shrugged.

"Since you made it out here in the rain, you have to stay," Sakura stated.

"Going out in the rain is a deathwish. So head inside and take a shower. We don't want you getting any colds." Yamato added, which caught me off-guard.

Here I thought he would be a bit of a pain, but he's a good person.

Still, don't understand why he gets so "hostile" at times.

It's pretty funny to see him get protective, now that I think about it.

Maybe I would understand if I had a daughter.

I bowed to them.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I greatly appreciate it." I thanked them, hoping that I could repay them as soon as possible.

Yamato put his hand on my shoulder.

"Ah don't sweat it, kid. Now go on inside. We have to clean up the mess."

They then started to clean up the mess, to which Natsuki took my hand led me upstairs to the actual home.

Once I went up the stairs, we put our bags down in the living room.

I was taken aback by how cozy it was.

Again, I was hit with a very familiar sense of deja vu.

For some reason, I remember the walls of this place.

It's like a traditional home with slide-open doors, but I can see the modernization.

Huh…

"And this! This is my living room! Look pretty cool, huh?"

The voice came from a young pink-haired girl spinning in the middle of the room.

Wait…

Was that Natsuki?!

She looked so young and-

"Okay, since I have only one bathroom, you can go first. I'll wait and dry off in the meantime."

Argh, what the hell is going inside of my head?!

Focus me.

Once I ran through the words, it didn't fly with me.

"Nope. You go first. I told you already that I am conditioned to cold water, I am fine." I reassured.

She shook her head.

"No, no, no! You're the guest, so let me show some hospitality, alright?" She repeated while leaning with her hands on her hips. "You go first! It's the polite thing to do, right?"

I leaned in as well, taking her stubbornness as a challenge.

"Well yeah, it is. But, I am trying to use common sense instead of tradition! So I insist."

Both of us leaned in until our noses were barely touching.

Once we realized how close we were, we both immediately backed away from each other.

My cheeks warmed up, the same with Natsuki's.

I sighed, wanting to get this over with.

"Nat, just take a shower first, alright? I promise I will be fine."

She pursed her lips into a frown.

"Fine, but you have to stay in the bathroom, alright? I don't want my parents to think that I am being a bad host… I have been getting a bad rap cause of that."

Wait, what?!

Staying in the same bathroom together?!

But that will mean I will get to see her naked!

And…

And I kind of want to see her-

…

Get a grip, me!

Shit, the rain is starting to get on my nerves.

Just rein in my hormones and everything will be fine.

If I put my mind into it, then I am sure I can get it done without a sweat.

"You got a deal," I answered while looking into her eyes.

Her eyes widened in shock of what I said, as if not believing what I said.

"W-W-What? B-But, I meant it as a way that you would… Argh! Fine! Follow me, perv!" She stammered, then demanded.

I eyed her but followed her to the bathroom.

Yep, I knew what she was going to say.

She tried to use reverse-psychology and manipulate me into taking a shower first.

Unfortunately, I learned from the best, so this is rather ineffective.

Once we were inside, Natsuki gasped for some reason.

"Shit, I just remembered something. I'll be right back."

With that, she left.

I looked around the bathroom to pass the time.

Hmm, it's not too traditional or old-timey at all.

Everything in this bathroom looks to be modern.

There were towels and soap nearby, giving me a subtle cue to get my clothes out.

Fortunately, I got my gym clothes here with me.

Also, I washed them yesterday so I can wear them tomorrow.

But for now, they work as backup pajamas.

I pulled out my gym clothes and put them on a hanger near the bathtub.

The door opened to reveal Natsuki with some clothes.

"Okay! Papa gave me some spare clothes for you to wear and oh-"

She looked at the clothes on the hanger.

"Is that yours?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Mhm. These are my gym clothes, but they comfy enough to be pajamas. I planned on wearing them tomorrow, but whatever."

Natsuki gave a cute grunt before putting the clothes near the towel bin.

"So you were going to go to the gym tomorrow?"

I eyed her in a wary manner.

"Yeah, I was. Why?" I replied.

The cupcake turned to me with a peculiar smile, the same one that her mother wore.

"Oh, no reason. It's not like I am going to sneak in and watch you from a distance."

I raised an eyebrow at her flirtatious answer.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is something Yuri would say?"

Natsuki blinked a couple of times before shaking her head out of it.

"Eeugh, for some reason that didn't come out as I thought it would. You're right, it does sound like something Yuri would say."

We looked at each for a second before bursting into laughter.

"Haha! To think an innocent girl like Yuri would be able to say things like that! That doesn't seem to be her mojo." I stated.

She let out a happy sigh.

"Yeah… but when Yuri gets angry she actually does say some creepy things. It's weird actually. Possessive, kind of like a yandere." Natsuki replied while unbuttoning her skirt and dress shirt.

I immediately turned around and followed suit, albeit slower.

"Yuri, a yandere? Psssh, she doesn't look like the type of girl to be like that." I tried to dismiss.

Although there was a weird nagging feeling deep within me that said something like that.

"Looks can be deceiving, Val. They really can be." She said now entering the bathtub.

I heard the squeaks of the shower knobs turn on the rushing water.

"You're right. It's the same case for my friend, Dan." I followed up, trying to keep the conversation up.

As I did, I put my wet uniform into the dryer and turned it on.

"Dan, huh? What do you mean?" She asked, still washing up.

I leaned against the shower door and debated whether I should reveal some information on his previous relationship with his ex.

"I don't think I am at liberty to say, honestly. But all I am gonna say that he was emotionally abused and we tried to get him out of it. They broke up earlier in the school year. Guess what type of girl she was."

She sighed.

"A yandere." We both said simultaneously.

If only we all tried a little harder to get him out of that shitty relationship.

I heard some shifting in the shower room so I got myself off the door and waited for her to get out.

The door opened, so I closed my eyes and looked up.

"Well, from what I gathered… yanderes are girls or guys that have abandonment issues or crappy parents. Yuri has some abandonment issues in the past, but we try to help her out."

She got out of the shower and walked over to the towels.

"Maybe we should try harder, now that she- Shit."

Natsuki cut herself abruptly, which made me worried.

I instinctively looked down at her, forgetting that she was naked.

Damn it, don't look at her.

And I say again to me.

Don't look at her.

Not at her chest, hips or even her…

Well, fat ass.

Just look at her straight in the eye.

However, when I came to, she was looking right at me.

"Well? What were you going to say?" I asked, tightening my gaze at her.

I didn't realize that I was staring way too hard at her, to the point where she hung her head and covered herself up.

She whined in fear.

"N-Nothing… I-If you keep s-staring at me like that, I-I-I might get pregnant." She mumbled.

Pregnant?!

Oh, please don't tell me that her dad never gave her the "talk"!

"You aren't going to get pregnant, 'baka'. Now put some clothes on." I teased, to which she submissively followed.

I was taken aback from how gentle she was behaving.

That's weird.

Usually, she would fire an insult at me or something.

But now, Nat is completely…

I guess cute.

Still, I like how she gets fired up.

Her fighting spirit is intriguing, to say the least.

In any case, I sighed.

"Did your dad give you the (birds and bees) talk?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know what the (birns and beas) are." She replied.

Right, English.

Seriously, sometimes it's easier to say it that way.

"What I meant to say is the 'talk'. You know, where babies come from." I elaborated.

Natsuki stared at me blankly.

Wow…

You have got to be kidding me.

"Nevermind… Anyway, I am gonna take a shower now."

She nodded with her somewhat feverish face and headed out of the bathroom.

Once she left, I took in a deep breath and let it out.

I notice that she's like this whenever we touch on something embarrassing.

But whenever she is not flustered, she could be one helluva a girl.

Not wanting to dive too much into this, I decided to get myself together and continue taking off the clothes underneath.

Hmm, they aren't that wet but they will smell foul once they dry up.

So once the uniform's done the drying, I will put them in.

I made sure the door was locked and that no one could get in.

Alright, time to get this over with.

I walked into the shower and turned on the water.

Immediately after, I was hit with hot water, which made me hiss in surprise.

"Urk!"

I quickly turned the cold water on to balance the temperature.

Jeez, how did Natsuki even shower in this water?

Or does it always start off with hot water?

Nevermind that, just focus on cleaning myself off.

I washed and made sure everything was clean.

Everyone calls me a neat freak sometimes.

Me on the other hand?

It's called being hygienic.

I heard a strange pop near the bathroom door.

Huh?

Despite the pattern on the glass shower door, I leaned in to see if anyone entered.

Nope.

There's no one.

Anyway, I wonder what we are gonna do in this sleepover.

Knowing Natsuki, we are probably going to do some of those manga/anime troupes.

She dodged a bullet... No, we dodged one when she told her dad about us holding hands.

But her mom might not have been so easy to fool.

I get the feeling that she would know what really goes on.

Didn't Natsuki mention that her mother has a vendetta against manga?

That could have pissed her off.

I smiled at the strange interaction the family shared.

Everyone is happy to be with each other.

A small and silly family.

I heard some footsteps on the other side of the bathroom, so I opened the shower door a little.

"Um, I am still taking a- huh?!"

It was Natsuki, she was wrapped in a towel and was puffing her cheeks out.

What's up with her now?

"Nat? How did you open the bathroom door? I could've sworn that I-"

She showed me a key and put it down on the bathroom sink.

Well, that explains it.

"Since I went first instead of you going in, I figured that I have to repay you somehow."

Uh oh…

I don't like where this is going.

"What do you mean? Actually, I don't want to know what you mean. It's fine, no need to follow some old traditions. We're friends remember?" I hurriedly excused, hoping that she would stop.

Natsuki simply smirked and walked to the shower door.

I am completely naked!

"Hold on, hold on, what are you doing?!" I yelled in fear.

Without a moment's rest, she opened the shower door and entered the shower with me.

I felt my body heat up when she entered, causing me to cover myself up.

"Baka, I am here to wash your back. It's the least I can do, right?"

That's a big no!

Absolutely not!

"I'm good, thanks. Now go! What will happen when your parents catch you?!"

She knelt down and shrugged.

"They aren't going to be home until later, actually. They went to get some groceries at the last minute since they forgot." Natsuki answered.

My heart was racing, now that we were alone in this house.

Okay, this is definitely going to be bad.

"Ugh, still! I don't need you to wash my back, alright? I will be just fine, don't worry." I replied, hoping the steam of the hot water would cover my parts.

She crossed her arms and kept her smirk.

"I don't care if you're fine. You risked getting me pregnant with that stare of yours, so this is payback."

So this is what it's all about?!

"Payback?! You can't get pregnant by staring at someone, you… you moron!"

Natsuki was pleasantly surprised by my use of insults.

"Oooh? Moron, eh? Well, in any case, I don't care. This is my house and that means my rules. Show sit down so I can rub it for you."

Fuck it.

Just fuck it.

"Fine! Fine! If it will get you to knock it off, then fine!" I relented now kneeling.

Natsuki let out victory cry and started to lean in.

"I knew you would like it. This is going to be the perfect research material for my manga! By the way, I know anyone could get pregnant by staring anyone hard enough! That's how it works, baka!"

Before she could get close, I turned my head to her.

"Whatever you say! Also no, funny business, alright?" I barked.

She simply rolled her eyes playfully.

"For a guy, I thought this would be a dream for you. Especially since you got a cute girl with 'one hot smoking piece of ass' to do it for you." The pink-haired girl perfectly taunted.

I was taken aback when she used my own words against me.

She…

She just pulled a Monika!

Holy shit!

"And I knew you got America's ass too, Val. It's so cute! Can I-"

I immediately knew what she was going to say.

"NO, NO, NO, and NO!" I roared, my face now on fire.

She whined at my refusal.

"Aw come on, just once alright? I promise I will do it just once!"

I turned my back to her and glared at her.

"No means no! Now get on with it!" I yelled, now rapidly losing my confidence.

She giggled something that dealt fatal blows to my defenses.

"Hehehe! I am kidding, baka. Even though you got one nice ass, I wouldn't well… you know. It's just soooo cute!"

I frowned out of defeat.

"Please stop…" I mumbled.

She continued to laugh for a bit before getting on with it.

* * *

I let out a happy sigh.

"See, Val? That wasn't so bad, was it?" I told him.

He only glared at me, which was intriguing, coming from him.

"It was! You kept trying to go for my butt!" He complained, annoyed from my repeated grabs.

I put my hands on my hips and smiled.

"Well, it's not my fault you have a nice ass. I think any girl would want a piece of that." I pervertedly remarked.

He frowned and crossed his arms.

"You're a pervert." He stated.

There's no point denying something that is true.

I mean, I read ecchi regularly so I am a bit of a pervert either way.

Hmm, if I do manage to make it in the manga scene, I should make some doujins.

I simply shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so. And is that so bad? Can't a girl like me be a little curious about things?"

He shook his head in dismay.

"And here I was thinking that you were would be… well, that. But looks like looks can deceive huh?"

I stared at him, unamused by his pun.

"Right, no pun intended. We are done here, right?"

I nodded and gazed at his back.

"Y-Yeah… we are. But I gotta ask, how did ya get such a broad back?"

Val brightened up and smiled, apparently forgetting the situation he was in.

"Oh! Deadlifts! They can really work on posture and the back." He cheerily answered.

So he really is a gym rat.

Not that I don't mind… It's actually a bit cute how he perks up when I ask him gym related stuff.

Too cute, actually.

"Okay… how about your shoulders?" I asked.

He rubbed his shoulders.

"Ah, that's by working deltoid raises and shoulder presses. To get traps, you have to get that barbell to dig into your back. But my back is nothing compared to the other guys in the gym. Hoo boy, they much more swole than I am. And they aren't even bodybuilders!"

So there are larger guys than this dork?

Well, I think he mentioned that he works out to feel great and didn't really focus on showcasing it.

That's good, really.

I am not that into muscles, and with him being a little lean helps his appeal…

"You really like going to the gym, don't you?" I asked, now standing up.

He stood up as well.

Wait, why is he standing up?

Val then turned around with a gleeful smile.

My heart stopped when I realized what he bared in front of me.

Oh no…

His-His-His…

Don't look down, Natsuki.

Stay calm and look into his eyes.

"Yep! It feels great! Pumping iron is a great way to let off some stress."

I bit my lips in anticipation of looking down, but I stopped myself barely.

However, I was at my last pegs when I saw the water dripping down from his body.

It's so hot in here!

Especially since I am doing everything I can to not look at his dick!

"Natsuki is there something wrong?" He asked, worriedly.

And the fact that he is so oblivious makes it too hard!

ARGH!

Fuck it!

One quick peek can't hurt, right?

If I take one second to get the image in my head, then it won't bother me anymore.

I shook my head to provide a distraction.

"No, no. I am okay, just that it's pretty warm in here. Let's get out of here."

His eyes widened when he realized that we were still in the same shower.

"R-Right! I'll let you out first!"

He moved over to my side and pulled the door to the side.

In that fraction of a second, I laid my mind to rest by glimpsing at his groin.

Seriously me, why do I really want to see him?

I mean, what the chances that-

Oh.

My nose started to burn up, and I covered it immediately.

The fuck?

Am I actually having a nosebleed?!

I thought that was just a way to convey arousal!

B-B-But instead…

The blood rushed to my head and made my nose bleed because of it.

…

…

…

Who would have thought that Val was well-endowed?

In the corner of my mouth, I felt some saliva leaking from it.

And…

I'm actually drooling over this?!

**To be fair, why wouldn't I?**

Argh!

I should have never looked down there!

Why did I have to listen to my head?!

I jumped out of the shower and got a tissue for my nosebleed.

"Nat? What happened to your nose?" He worriedly asked, now obliviously walking out of the shower naked.

My eyes again wandered to his groin for another peek.

**Even when it isn't hard, it is pretty impressive.**

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

I waved my hand at him while wiping off the nosebleed.

"Nothing! Nothing happened! Don't worry!" I assured, hoping that he would bite and wear some clothes.

He walked up to me causing me to turn away.

That simply made him spin me around.

"Nat, I know your nose is bleeding." He simply stated.

That's fucking it!

"You know what? Yeah, I wonder why! Maybe it's because you're walking with your dick swinging side to side all the time, you baka!" I shouted, causing him to recoil back in pain.

Once he finished rubbing his ears, the words finally managed to get through him.

And so, the idiot widened his eyes and flared up.

Val covered himself up and picked up a towel to cover himself.

Without missing a beat, he bowed.

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to show myself like that! I really didn't mean, please I am so, so sorry!" He repeatedly apologized.

Now it was my turn to make him look me in the eye.

I pulled him up and stared right at him.

"Baka, I understand. Alright? I know what happened. You got so giddy from the mention of the gym that you totally forgot you were naked, right?" I reassured, hoping that I managed to smooth things out.

He let his jaw hang in shock, completely surprised that I was able to nail such an explanation.

I smugly smiled at him.

"Hey, don't forget my Papa was a trained sniper. Grandpa and my great-grandpa were all sharpshooters, so I had to get some those genes right?"

He didn't give any sort of response.

"R-Right…"

It took him a while to get himself out of that state but when he came to, rubbed face in shame.

"I carelessly let my passion for gym get the better of me. I really, really didn't mean to show you anything, Nat."

With my smug smile, I leaned and gave his butt a good smack, waking him up.

"I already told you I understand, baka. It was cute how you perked up whenever talked about working out and the gym. So I didn't really mind at all."

Besides, with what he's packing…

It was worth it, no matter how much I try to deny it.

"Stop smacking my butt!" He complained.

We finally got our clothes on without much of a hassle and headed to my bedroom.

Once we were there, he looked around and examined my room.

Unfortunately, his gaze was limited to my simple pink bed, a desk, closet, and a pink laptop.

"There's nothing much to see here. I keep all my fun stuff in my bag, remember?"

He rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Hmm… okay, if you say so. Anyway, where do I sleep?"

I showed him my bed.

"A cute girl's bed. Do I need to say anything else?" I teased.

However, that didn't affect Val at the slightest.

"Nope, I am not sleeping there. I am only gonna sleep on the kotatsu you said that you had."

Again with this crap.

"Val, I don't mind sleeping in a kotatsu. Since you're the guest, you are free to sleep on the bed. I won't say a thing, I promise."

He still shook his head in disagreement.

Gah, he is like a stubborn mule!

It's so hard to change his mind about something!

"Nope, I don't want you to sleep all uncomfortable and stuff. I don't mind if I sleep on the kotatsu at all."

I rubbed my face in agony and groaned.

"Agggh! Forget it! We'll deal with it later! For now, let's do some research!"

I took his hand and brought him over to my desk, where I kept some of my drawing materials.

"Um… okay. What are we doing then?" He asked innocently.

I put the drawing things on a table and dragged him to my closet.

From there, I opened it and pulled out an old maid outfit.

This is mom's favorite maid outfit…

And I am wearing it for my manga!

"What the- Why do you have a maid outfit?!"

I laid the maid outfit on the bed and started stripping.

He let go of my hand for now and looked away.

"Mama said this outfit was heirloom or somethin'. So I had this lying around for a while now. You wouldn't mind that we try out a troupe when I wear this, right?"

Val sighed heavily.

"Jeez… I don't think that I have much of a choice in the first place. So what should I do?"

I put on the maid outfit and turned to him, the skirt flying with the wind.

"We're going to the traditional greeting when you come home!"

…

Wait, don't I need to only wear an apron for that?

"Umm… okay then. So I am guessing that I come into your room and act like I am exhausted?" He further asked.

I nodded to him, happy that he was getting hang with it.

"Exactly! Now come on! Let's get on with this!"

* * *

With a shrug, I walked towards the door and opened it.

Seriously, what a weird troupe.

I remember watching a Parfait Girls OVA where one of the girls greeted the main character in a maid outfit.

So I am guessing that I have to do the same thing with Natsuki.

And by extension, is she going to put this scene in the manga she's writing in?

I wonder how that'll fit.

With a pep talk for myself, I readied myself and opened the door.

I found Natsuki to be sitting down on her bed.

Upon further inspection, she was actually kneeling with her eyes closed.

When I approached her, Natsuki leaned in and bowed down to me.

Uh…

Never seen this sort of greeting before.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to me with a small, but relaxed smile.

"Welcome home, Dear. You had a long day in the office, haven't you?" She greeted, her voice very foreign from how it usually was.

For some reason, that bothered me greatly.

Dear…?

Why does my heartthrob when she called me that?

Something about that name makes my head hazy.

Anyway...

Right now, her voice feels so… restricted and forced.

It's nothing like her usual carefree accented voice.

"Nat, could you speak a little bit more freely? I feel… uncomfortable with how you're talking to me right now."

The pink-haired girl was puzzled at my request but smiled.

And this time, it was a real smile with her cute fang protruding from the side of her lips.

"If you say so, Dear. Now whaddya want? Ya want me to draw a bath? Prepare some food? Or…"

Even when she shifted up her tone, the name still bothered me.

In a good way, of course.

She shuffled a little and bared her shoulder to me.

"Do you wanna have a swing with me?" Natsuki flirtatiously offered.

I blinked a couple of times from how disorientated I was feeling.

My eyes darted towards her and then to her shoulder multiple times before my vision started to fail me.

For some reason, I saw Monika instead of Natsuki, and she was wearing only an apron, instead of a maid outfit.

What the fuck?!

I shook my head and saw Natsuki still waiting for my answer.

That was very weird…

Monika looked a little older there…

What the hell was that?!

"Um… well, I guess we can get something to eat. Want me to cook something for us?" I offered.

Now it was Natsuki's turn to be disorientated.

She recoiled her head and blinked a couple of times to process what I said.

"Huh? You can cook? Since when?" The cupcake asked, apparently surprised.

I smirked and leaned against the wall.

"Well, ever since middle school I guess. I picked up cooking as something to do in case I get bored. And it's pretty rewarding too."

Natsuki's eyes glowed up at the topic.

"The same for baking! Remember the ice cream, cookies, and cupcakes I made? I feel the exact same way!" She excitedly exclaimed.

Uh oh, she broke character…

Whatever I guess, this is more fun.

"Cooking dishes and baking treats are different things. I always tried to get into baking, but I keep messing up and make a mess whenever I try." I stated.

Natsuki rested her cheeks in her hands, completely invested with the conversation.

"Baking is super easy! Trust me, you're probably overthinking it! You just need to swing with your gut, and everything will turn out just fine!"

She then puffed her cheeks out and looked away.

"But I can't say the same for culinary… I can't prepare any meats right. Making bread, pastries, and sweets are easy but anything else is a disaster."

I stroked my chin a little before snapping.

"Aha! I got it! Want to try cooking together? We can teach each other our best recipes and learn from our mistakes! What do you say?"

The girl's eyes lit up like fireworks.

"YES! Let's go!" She shouted as she jumped off the bed.

Once we got to the door, she realized something and covered herself up.

"Fweeeh! You-You totally distracted me from what we were doing!" Natsuki exclaimed, trying to fix her loosened outfit.

I couldn't help but snicker at how she scrambled to put on her ever loosening outfit.

"Argh! Stop laughing at me! You were supposed to say that you wanted me!"

Her outburst caused me to start laughing.

"Ahahaha! I am sorry! I just couldn't take it seriously when you went all out in the acting, haha!"

She tried to land a punch at me, but I only caught it led her downstairs.

"Come on, let's cook something." I dismissed.

* * *

Damn it!

I really, really want to show him a thing or two about my mind…

But then again, I like how smooth he was.

I don't think he even realizes it either.

That was so cool…

As much I wanted to cook with him, I grounded myself.

"Wait, Val… I kind of want to wear something else besides this, y' know?"

He raised an eyebrow before realizing what I meant.

"Ah, my bad. Should I wait for you?" He offered.

"Nah, it's okay. Get started with whatever's in the fridge, okay?"

Val nodded reluctantly.

"I am only gonna scout out what you guys have. It's better that way."

With that, I pulled away from his grip and saw something flicker in his eyes.

"Don't worry, my parents love to buy stockpiles of ingredients. In fact, that's what they are doing right now. So knock yourself out, dummy."

He gave me a small smile and went downstairs.

As I approached my room, I opened it and immediately closed it, breathing heavily over what I did.

I can't believe it…

I managed to pull that off with this outfit!

He kept looking at my shoulder and at me!

That has to mean something right?

I got off my door and started changing.

There's so much research that we just did when we started this sleepover…

First was the back massage, unintentional flashing… and the classic "what would you like" encounter!

Now, what else is there for us to do?

There's the piggyback ride, shopping, and…

My heart skipped a beat from what I was thinking of.

The confession.

I know the confession isn't going to be real or anything, but I don't think I am gonna be ready for it.

Still, only time will tell.

As I put my pajamas on and was about to exit my room, I took a deep breath

I'm….

I'm glad that he's having fun by hanging out with me.

Val did say he does want to hang out with me, so I can't find any reason to feel bad about myself.

Even though I have some doubts in my mind, spending time with him always washes them away.

I turned the knob and walked out.

As I went down the stairs, I hear something sizzling in the kitchen.

Hmm?

Val's actually cooking something?

I entered the kitchen to be hit with a very inviting aroma.

Oh wow…

It smells amazing!

What is he even making?

"Nat, there you are. I found some noodles and leftover ingredients in the fridge. So I figured that I could make some stir-fry, you wanna learn how?"

I couldn't stop myself from jumping place from how excited I was.

"Yes! Yes! I want to know how! Teach me!"

He chuckled from how excited I was.

"I will, I will. I should warn you though, I never really was a good teacher. But I'll try my best to explain every step. Now first thing's first, we have to prepare the vegetables…"

As Val explained each individual step clearly, I started getting into it.

He allowed me to try certain parts out by myself and was able to show where I made mistakes.

Wow…

Cooking stuff like this isn't that hard!

But then again, he explains everything clearly.

Right now, I was kind of struggling with mixing the udon with the sauce and vegetables."

He walked up behind me and grabbed my wrists.

Val is… touching me in a place like this…

I feel so vulnerable, but I don't mind at all.

So this is what trust is.

"Keep stirring the noodles like so, let the vegetables get to know each other. The soy sauce and sesame oil should keep them connected in taste. That way, there won't be too many varying tastes in a single bite. You should be able to taste the broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and peas, but they shouldn't be too overpowering and different to eat." He instructed, moving my hands to follow his movements.

He really does know how to cook…

The udon noodles and vegetables darkened with the sauce but gave a very pleasant smell.

In time I was able to do it myself, to which he let go of my wrists.

"You're learning pretty fast, Nat. It's impressive really. I couldn't even get this part down until my fourth try!"

I lowered the heat on the stove and turned to him with a smug smile.

"Maybe it's because I have a natural talent! Remember, my mom is a master baker! I know every nook and cranny of the basics!"

I wouldn't really call this basic though.

He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. My point is, you're a much faster learner than I am. Nice work, Natsuki."

I felt my face burn from his compliments.

"Don't be so quick to compliment me yet, baka. We still have to see how it turned out."

I turned off the stove and got a bowl out.

"We followed the recipe to the letter, I think we should be fine." He assured.

With the bowl in one hand, I served the noodles in it and gave Val the bowl.

My heart was beating uncontrollably as he grouped the noodles up.

He then took a small amount of the noodles into his mouth, to which I held my breath.

Please be good…

I hope didn't fuck up somehow!

He closed his eyes and hummed in delight.

"Oh wow, this actually tastes a lot fresher than before. That's pretty decadent, mm…!"

I rested my cheek on my hand and watched him take bite after bite of the noodles.

"Yeah, I can taste the vegetables, but they aren't overpowering as usual… good."

Watching him eat the noodles I made for him is just so satisfying.

Val then looked at me and appeared confused.

"Huh? Why aren't you eating as well?"

I am just gonna be honest with him.

"Well, it's because of how you cute you look when you're eating." I dreamily said with a happy grin.

…

His eyes looked around frantically as his face started blowing up.

"Oh… cute, huh? Heh."

Val took a deep breath and recomposed himself rather quickly.

"Alright, two can play that game. You're cute when you eat too."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? Mmph!"

Without even realizing it, he managed to sneak some of the udon into my mouth.

He pulled away and smirked.

I had no choice but to chew the food he gave me.

He was using the same utensils when he was eating…

And the food he was eating…

Was in my mouth.

I chewed slowly and let the flavors of the udon overwhelm me.

And so I closed my eyes and hummed.

"Mmm…! This is sooo good!" I stated while chewing thoroughly.

He chuckled and watched me eat.

"You're like a kitten eating. It's adorable."

And as revenge, he made me blush.

"I hate you," I muttered, which made his chuckle turn into laughter.

This guy is confident enough to tease me back.

I love that about him.

Val got up and brought another set of utensils, so we could eat it together.

"Now since we made only one bowl of udon, the only option here is to share it."

I didn't respond to him and only responded to him in agreement.

We were silent as we ate the noodles together.

The silence meant that the udon we made couldn't be put into words.

Even if there isn't anything to speak about, the comfort of him being around me is more than enough.

Minutes go by and we were now finishing up the udon.

I picked up one of the last noodles and started eating it, with Val following suit.

We chewed and chewed until for some reason the noodle started to stretch out between us.

Huh?

What the hell-?!

Without even realizing it, the noodle we were eating was the one we were sharing.

Oh no!

I have seen this happen in movies before!

If this goes on th-th-then….

Everything was going so fast.

Both of us saw that we knew what we were eating but it was too late.

I felt something warm cover my lips.

My vision started to waver from how euphoric I felt for some reason.

Then we'll kiss...


	15. Want(Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

No…

No way.

Our faces were on fire and we couldn't even see eye to eye at all.

We kissed.

That was my first kiss!

And it was with Natsuki!

Something within me didn't feel so concerned compared to the rest of my body.

I wanted to pull away, but I just couldn't for some reason!

Something in me told me not to.

But what?

What told me not to?!

Oh gosh, I made things so awkward now!

Wait, does that mean I like Natsuki?!

I mean… I did kiss her and…

She's kind of cute.

Especially when she smiles. It's as if my world lights up whenever she shows she is happy.

It makes my heart jump whenever I see her smile and… I-

ARGH!

Get a grip me!

I need to apologize!

As soon as I made eye-contact, I saw Natsuki frowning at me with her reddened cheeks.

"D-D-Don't get the wrong idea, b-baka! Y-Y-You didn't mean it, I know. B-But this kiss? It doesn't c-count! A-Alright?!"

I was stunned by how she was able to say the first place.

My hesitation to say anything caused her to close her eyes and grit her teeth.

She took a deep breath and looked at me with a menacing glare that could rival Monika's.

Holy shit…

She could actually pull something like that off?

"T-This kiss we just had?! It didn't even count! Y-Ya hears me?! (No counto)!" She yelled.

I could only gulp and nod at her.

"R-Right. Got it. This didn't count as a kiss."

But it kind of did.

And my heart won't stop pounding!

I could've sworn that my heart was going to escape through my mouth!

With that, Natsuki leaned back and crossed her arms, now regaining her bravado.

"A real kiss wouldn't be something so accidental. So if we really did kiss, then that would mean we kissed for real!"

I decided to agree with her so we could put this behind us for now.

"Exactly! T-That's what a kiss should achieve! What happened now doesn't count!" I agreed.

She let out a relieved sigh.

"Good to see that you agree with my line of reasoning, Val."

There was an awkward silence between us right now.

Neither of us wanted to make the first move or speak the first word.

And so, the few minutes that went by, we spent by looking around the kitchen.

This is going nowhere…

If she isn't going to do anything then I should ask.

"Nat-Val." We both called at the same time.

The two of us stared at each other before jerking our heads away.

"Y-You go first, baka." She said while looking away.

Don't mind if I do.

"Um… okay. So, I was guessing that we make something you would want to make. Since you know, I made something I like and I taught you how to make it as well. So… maybe you could repay the favor?" I somehow confidently asked.

How was I…?

Actually, I don't want to know, I am glad that took the first steps.

Maybe it's because of how badly I wanted to get out of this weird situation.

The same can be said to Natsuki since she wanted to say something to me as well.

The pink-haired girl shifted her gaze at me and the stove before sighing.

"I might as well. Since you made your udon and showed me the recipe… I can teach you the recipe for my cupcakes."

Cupcakes, huh?

"The same cupcakes like the one you gave to the literature club Monday?" I asked.

She only replied with a curt nod.

I'll be honest, I do want to know how to make those cupcakes again.

They were just too good and way better than any store-counter cupcakes.

"Sweet! I always wanted to learn how to make those. It's too good to pass up!"

Natsuki looked down and closed her eyes.

All of a sudden, she opened her eyes, gave me a low growl and motioned me to the stove.

I was taken aback by her strange behavior.

Huh?

What's with her?

The cupcake started to look for the baking ingredients and materials while I awkwardly stood about.

I still can't get that kiss out of my head.

We were both eating the noodles and we happened to share a noodle together, just like one of those romantic movies.

But I never thought we would actually kiss because of that.

Even though I agree with Natsuki's definition of a kiss, I still can't shake off how… happy I am for kissing her, even if it was just by accident.

Her eyes started to melt when we did kiss, and I just wanted to see more of that.

She looked happy when we kissed, but when she pulled away from me, I can see that sensation in her eyes fade away.

What does that mean?

Does that mean Natsuki enjoyed the kiss and wanted more?

And if she did enjoy the kiss, does that mean she…

Does she like me as something more than a friend?

Wow…

A girl showing interest to me is something that makes my heart race like no tomorrow.

In all my years in Dokisai, not one girl showed that much interest in me.

But… now?

There might be a chance that a girl, let alone a cute one, might like me!

Shit, shit, shit!

I am thinking too much into this!

Maybe she actually did kiss me by mistake and she was taken aback from the sensation.

There might be a reason why no girl showed that much interest to me until now.

Maybe Natsuki is only interested in me only as a friend and nothing more.

I mean…

I can respect that and I will try my hardest to respect but…

My heart starts to feel all prickly and crestfallen whenever I start to think that.

What does that mean then?

Do I want her to like me…?

"Val! Damn it!"

I felt a smack on my bum, causing me to yelp out of surprise.

"Ah! What the hell, Natsuki?!"

She rolled her eyes dismissively.

"I should be saying the same thing to ya, baka! I was calling you for a while now, but you wouldn't even respond to me at all!"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Sorry, I was thinking about some… stuff. Don't worry, now what do we have to do?"

Natsuki answered by giving me a bowl and whisk.

"I want you to whisk the batter and everything in that bowl. Do you know how to?"

Whisking ingredients together?

That's beginner level stuff.

Wait a minute, she smacked my ass again!

I rubbed it out of pain and gave her a glare to which she looked puzzled.

"What?" She asked.

My only answer was my pointing to my bum, to which she smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. You got a nice ass, so what?" She teased.

Ugh, she really likes my gloots that much?

Sure squats and overall leg day can do that, but come on!

"No, it's not because of that! Stop smacking my butt!" I complained while whisking the concoction in the bowl.

Natsuki giggled, which made me vulnerable as always.

"Why? You always give me cute reaction whenever I do it. That's what it makes it fun!"

I frowned at her reasoning.

"Oh yeah? How would you like it if I did the same to you, huh? Wouldn't that be sexual harassment?!"

She simply scoffed at me.

"Pff, as if. You don't have the balls to even do the samething to me. And besides, it's sexual harassment if we both enjoy it."

I was at a loss for words.

How can she turn the tables that easily?!

"Huh- what? I-no!" I pathetically stammered.

Her giggling got to the point where she laughing wholeheartedly.

"Ahahaha! You look so cute right now! Hehehe!"

I couldn't stay mad at her whenever she laughed like that.

For some reason, that's all I wanted to see right now.

I wanted to see her laughing out of joy and see her smile everyday.

"Gah, screw you, Nat." I managed to sputter out. "You're right, I don't have the balls to smack you right back, but I can do something much worse."

She let out a relieved sigh and gave me smug look.

"Haaa~! Yeah, okay. I wonder what you got in store for me, dork. You're probably just gonna poke me or whatever."

I smirked back at her.

"Close, very close actually."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, what-?"

And immediately after I started to tickle her, starting with her sides.

"Ah! Stop! Ahahaha! Stop it! Th-haha! That's dirty!" The cupcake squeaked.

I didn't give her any mercy.

"Not as dirty with your surprise smacks! This is revenge! Take it!" I declared now putting up to her armpits.

Her eyes widened as she realized I was attacking her most vulnerable region.

"AHAHAHA! YOU CAN'T- HAHAHA! STOP!" She screamed, now wanting mercy.

I grinned at her suffering.

"Then promise me! Promise me that you will stop smacking my ass!" I proposed.

To help her respond, I lessened the intensity of my tickles.

"Alright! Alright! I will stop! I'll stop!" She accepted, to which I pulled away.

Her face was all red from laughing so hard, but she was grinning in joy.

"That… That was fun."

I smiled at her, agreeing with her statement.

"Yeah, it was."

Without much of a warning, she gave me a quick smack on my butt and ran to the otherside of the table.

I was at shock from her attack and glared at her, to which she giggled.

"Hehe! Nice try, Val! I won't ever stop doing any of that!"

But…

She promised.

"Didn't you say you'll stop?" I questioned to which she smirked.

Her eyes shone with mischief as she rested her chin in her hand.

"Yeah, I'll stop." She answered.

Oh, so starting now?

Well that's a good thing, I guess.

But she still smacked my ass so-

"I'll stop not giving your butt those slaps! Haha!" She snarkily answered.

Oh you little…

Natsuki blew me a raspberry to which provoked me.

I ran around the table to catch her, but she always made sure that she was out of reach.

"Come back here, you!" I yelled, aggravated by her cunning and playfulness.

Her melodic laugh always managed to be faze me.

"Hehe! I will come, when you have the balls, dork!" She replied with a flirtatious wink.

Did…

Did Natsuki just give me a perverted remark?

Wow.

I think I like this side of Natsuki.

"Why you!"

Each time I come around the corner, she was on the other side of the table.

And so to catch her, I decided to break her ankles.

I darted towards one direction while not committing to it, causing her to run into the direction I expected her to.

With that, I pushed my legs off and I went towards her.

I saw her eyes widen as I got near.

And so, I brought it in for a hug, laughing from the shenanigans we put up.

She joined in to, hugging me back and laughing with me.

The warm feeling in my heart was stirring a lot more than usual.

This feeling…

So whenever I am near Natsuki…

My heart starts to throb uncontrollably.

Does that mean that I need her somehow?

Why can't I understand what this feeling is?

Is it camaraderie?

Friendship?

Or… love?

Am I in love with Natsuki?

"That was fun, right Val?"

I continued to hug her, now resting my chin on top of her head.

She's…

She's so warm.

I feel the need to protect from everything.

I want to keep her safe.

"Val? Is there something wrong?" She worriedly asked.

Huh?!

I pulled away in surprise.

"S-Sorry!" I stuttered. "It's just that… it felt good to hug you. I don't know what came over me! I'm sorry!"

I then bowed towards her to which she blushed.

She put her hand on top of my shoulder to reassure me.

"It's fine, dork. I don't mind you hugging me at all." Natsuki answered with a smile.

Argh…

Why do I feel so vulnerable right now?

If she says anything to me, then I don't know how I will take it.

Because of that, I meekly pulled away.

"T-That's good to know. Anyway, let's get to work with what you wanted to make."

She was confused from my sudden timidity but gave me a worried look.

"Um… alright. If that's what you wanted to do." Natsuki replied, now reluctantly walking towards the bowls.

I followed right beside her, trying to weigh both the weird feelings and thoughts with my cooking skills.

The bowl of icing I had in my hands looked to be lumpy, so I continued to whisked it albeit with difficulty.

Why can't I focus…?

It's getting so hard to just whisk this bowl of icing.

And I know how to beat and batter it, but I feel something is just holding me back.

But what?!

What's holding me back from doing this?

"Val, let me help." She offered, taking the bowl and whisk from me.

I couldn't keep a strong grip on it, causing her to almost drop the whole thing on top of her.

"Waah! Watch it, dumbass! If I didn't catch it in time, all this icing would've been all over me!" She reprimanded.

I only nodded meekly, causing her to keep a very wary stare.

"Jeez, don't be all weird of a sudden. What's wrong?" Natsuki asked worriedly, now deciding to take a stand.

All she got was silence, which made her frown.

When I came to, I realized she was on her tippy toes and searching my face for answers.

Her pink eyes scanned my facial features meticulously before relaxing her toes.

"I can tell there's something up. Is it because of the hug? Or what?"

My body tensed up at the mention of the hug, but I was able to make sure I left no mentions of it.

She sighed heavily.

"Look, if it's about that, I will say it again. I don't mind you hugging me, alright? In fact, you're the only guy that I would allow to hug me in the first place."

My heart started to beat uncontrollably again.

"Do you want to know why?" The cupcake asked.

I didn't respond to her.

What do I say…?

Do I want to know?

Is she going to confess?

No… I can't bring my hopes up that high.

"It's because I trust you."

* * *

I trust you.

But also…

I think I…

No, I can't say it right now.

I know Val is going through something, but for some reason he is trying his best to hide it from me.

How he managed to hide things like what he is thinking, is pretty strange given that I was able to do it before.

What changed?

"You… trust me?" He slowly asked.

Yes…

I smiled at him, giving him my best toothy smile.

"Of course I do. I trust you because you gone out of your way to make things right, remember? Like how you decided to take responsibility back at the library? Helping me with my manga, acting out some concepts… Or when you accepted me when I showed you my…. Well my hentai collection? I thought you could have snitched at me or something, but instead you kept quiet and didn't really say anything bad about it. I could go on, Val. I really could, but at the end of the day, I trust you; knowing that you won't ever do anything bad to me."

The guy of my dreams gawked at me.

He couldn't believe what I was saying.

I saw his onyx eyes waver in shock, before he decided to smile back.

"(Thank you.)" Val finally said. "(Thank you for trusting me so much, Natsuki. I never thought anyone would trust me that much. Someone who thinks that I always have their best interests, no matter what I do. It… it really means a lot to me. And it makes me feel so much more confident right now.)

Even though he replied in English I somehow was able to understand he was saying.

"(Yoou... are-a... welcomeh, Val)." I replied.

He scrunched his nose up to better comprehend what I said but brightened up once he did.

"You're adorable whenever you speak English, Nat. But your articulation needs practice."

…

Why do I get the feeling that he said this before?

"It's said like this: (You are welcome.)" He slowly said. "Or you can say this, if you're feeling up to this. (You're welcome.) Either one works."

Both of us for some reason blinked a couple of times before shaking our heads awake.

"Why do I get the feeling that I said those exact words somewhere?" He questioned.

I rubbed my head and tried to remember where else he said that.

"Yeah… I am pretty sure you said that to me once, but I don't remember when. It's giving some strong deja vu right now. But anyway, let me try!"

I took a deep breath and tried to wrap my lips around the foreign language.

"(Yoou… are welcome. Yoou… are welcome. Yoou… are welcome.) I repeated, trying to get it right.

He pursed his lips and nodded at me, apparently knowing why I couldn't get it right.

"I see the problem. Nat, try making the (you) part direct. It has to be straight and short, like so: (You.)"

Ah okay.

I gave another shot at the phrase.

"(Yoou. Are welcome.)" I said again.

Val shook his head lightly.

"Close, very close. Let me help you."

He walked up to me and wrapped his hand around my cheeks.

W-W-What is this dork doing?!

"Now say it. I think you'll get it right now."

His hands are so firm…

Wow…

I wonder what he can do with those hands…

GAH!

Focus, Natsuki! I can do this!

I shifted my eyes away from his face and tried one last time.

"(You… are welcome.)"

He gripped my cheeks when to stop me from extending the "you" part.

Val pulled his hand away from me and motioned me to try again.

Wow…

I think I said it right!

My eyes darted to Val and he gave me a nod of approval.

I felt my body jolt with pure excitement.

"You are welcome! You are welcome! You are welcome!" I cheered, amazed with how fast I managed to learn the words.

Val smiled at me.

"See? Sometimes you don't even bother being cute. You are cute! Haha!" He remarked.

Instead of being flustered because of him, I savored the compliment.

"(Thank you, Val!)" I thanked, surprising him in the process.

His smile beamed at me.

"Oh wow, I didn't know you can say that perfectly! I don't hear any traces of an accent anywhere! Nicely done!"

I couldn't help but beam back at him.

For some reason, I was able to see a shift in his eyes.

What's with his eyes…?

They look a lot more… what's the word? Mellow?

He's looking at me as if I make his day.

Wait, does that mean…

"Anyway. Let's get back to baking, alright?"

Val turned and went back to the bowl as if knowing that I was looking into his eyes.

That's pretty suspicious, Val.

Now, I want to investigate!

Hmm, what's a good way to get him to look at me?

The guy picked up the bowl and started whisking the bowl filled with icing.

Ahah!

I got it!

"Hey, hunk! Let me beat that for ya!"

Val was disorientated by the dual perverted remark I attacked with, allowing me to take the bowl away from him.

"Wha-What?! Nat, I was almost done!"

I examined the bowl and saw that he was indeed almost done.

Hmm, it's still a little lumpy but he was getting to smoothing it out.

…

Why does this all feel so familiar for some reason?!

I could've sworn that I did this before…

Somewhere.

"No, you're not! Look at this! The icing's all lumpy! Are you even bothering to learn?!" I insulted to which he simply rose an eyebrow.

"I… was? Like I said before, I was almost done until you ripped it out of my hands." He calmly pointed out. "This is something I already know how to do."

Shit!

He does know!

I rolled my eyes to dismiss his claim, despite it being true.

"Watch! This is how you do it! The Natsuki patented way of beating this shit!"

I then gave everything I had into the bowl and beat the icing as best I can.

"There!" I showcased while dipping my finger into the icing.

Val leaned in with a skeptical look.

"Um… that looks identical to from how it was a few seconds ago."

Urgh, he's right!

All I did was finish his work!

"No, it's a lot more different now! You wouldn't know since you aren't an expert baker like I am, are you?"

He gave an amused grunt while I tasted the icing.

"Huh… I guess so. My bad and thanks for correcting my mistake."

Val then started sticking his finger into the bowl.

Now's my chance!

…

Why do I get the feeling that this plan **will** work, instead of it probably working?

This feeling is like I have the foresight or something.

I grabbed his wrist and pushed it away.

"I don't think so. You couldn't do the work properly so you don't get a taste! Besides, your gross fingers would probably mess it up or something."

He backed away, recoiling from both my words and my yelling.

I saw him closed his eyes for a little and blink several times.

"Wow… I think I lost a couple of brain cells from what you said." He attacked back, causing me to secretly impressed. "Look, I put most of the work in! Why can't I get a taste?"

Ooooh!

That hurt!

"I don't know why don't you try to take it from me, American?"

I stuck my tongue out and gave him a raspberry, causing his ire to raise.

"Why you…"

He faked out, grabbed the bowl away from me and was able to pull it away from me.

I realized he hasn't touched me at all, looked down and saw that I wasn't even holding the bowl anymore.

Huh?!

Wh-What?!

How did he even-?!

Argh, that's a dirty trick!

He stuck his finger in it and was about to lick his finger.

That is until I tackled him.

"Not so fast!"

Both of us fell on the kitchen floor, with the bowl safely in our hands.

Once we hit the floor, the bowl landed on his chest.

Right now, I had both of my hands over Val's head.

There was a bit of icing on his cheek.

Oh…

We're doing this pose, huh?

He groaned and shook his head up.

"Hrrk! Jeez, Nat! What the hell?!"

Val realized that we were only a few inches apart.

I thought of backing away, but for some reason, I felt daring.

"My, my! To think of getting a girl to do this with you? You're really are a pervert, eh?" I teased.

He frowned at me.

"S-Says the girl on top of me. Aren't you the pervert for not getting off me?"

I smirked and put the bowl right beside him.

With that, I put my weight onto him.

"Nah, not really. I just wanna see how much you're enjoying this right now. Research, remember?"

I playfully swung my legs back and forth to further entice him.

His cheeks burned a bright red and tried to look away.

However, I kept getting closer to him so he couldn't look anywhere else besides me.

"Screw you and your research." He muttered, which made me giggle.

"Hehe! Looking at how you squirm is hilarious! The hunk, trapped by a girl like me! That's ironic!"

He grits his teeth and tried to struggle.

As if knowing his weakness, I caressed his arms and effectively disabled him.

They refused to move anymore and gave up on the spot.

"Alright, fine. You can trap me or whatever, just can you clean up that annoying trace of icing on my cheek? It's bothering me."

Here's my chance!

"Sure thing, Dear."

And this…

This is something I will remember forever.

I leaned in and licked the icing off his cheek.

Val looked at me as if he saw a ghost.

We kept eye contact throughout the whole ordeal, and so I licked my lips to seal the deal.

And so, I saw the change in his eyes.

I took the chance to seal his eyes in my memory.

They're mellow now.

But…

I can tell that are coated with something.

Is it…

Love?

Is Val in… love with me?

He closed his eyes, stopping me from analyzing anything further.

"Sheesh… you're very playful aren't you Natsuki? Y-You shouldn't do that to anyone unless you like them a lot… moron."

Moron, huh?

He's learning!

And…

I can't believe that I was able to do all that…

My heart is beating so fast right now, I feel as it will explode any second now.

But before I could give an answer, the oven dinged.

Out of all the times, now?!

Are you kidding me?!

I reluctantly got off from the guy of my dreams and pulled out the cupcakes in the oven.

And immediately after, the room was filled with a sweet aroma that I knew all too well.

It always calmed me down whenever I was craving sweets, but this time…

The sweet smell angered me.

I was so close.

I was so close to figuring out what he was feeling!

Argh!

Fuck decorating them, let's just add the icing and go.

I am definitely not in the mood for this right now.

"Now that we got the cupcakes out of the oven, we can get to putting the icing on them." I stated, knowing that my tone was angry and impatient.

Val didn't really respond and gave a curt nod.

I really had to mess him up like that, didn't I?

The adrenaline rush I got…

It's been messing with I usually think.

I'm gonna apologize to him right after this.

We got to work with the icing and neglecting the cute parts.

The whole time we were icing the cupcakes, none of us said a word to each other.

I fucked up so bad.

Why did I lick him?!

Now that I realize it, licking him **is a bad idea!**

But the way he responded to me…

He didn't get angry or anything.

Val looked like he was flustered.

But at the same time, he was also so happy.

Even though his face or voice didn't say so, I could tell he was happy.

Why?

Why was he so happy?

Those thoughts kept me distracted to the point where Val gripped my wrist.

I let out a squeal from he grabbed me, knowing that I was very vulnerable now.

"Eh?!"

Instead of having any emotion, he looked distant for some reason.

That's something I thought I would never see.

"You were about to ice the table." He simply said, before going back to icing the other cupcakes.

I looked at what I was about to ice.

Oh…

There's nothing there.

I shook my head out of it and went back to icing the cupcakes.

* * *

I kept an eye at Natsuki before she started to ice the cupcakes again.

This is going so bad right now.

No matter how much I try, I can't force myself to focus!

All I can see is her mischievous eyes, that flirty smile, and giggle.

That giggle really makes my heart throb.

I can't help it anymore.

Anymore time we spend together and I will lose control.

I am just so…

Confused.

What am I feeling right now?

And why is it so overwhelming?

Why did…

Why did I want to kiss her right after she licked my cheek?

I know we had an accidental kiss but for some reason, I just wanted to do it again.

My head…

I don't know if I can trust my own feelings and thoughts anymore.

Once we were done applying the icing on the cupcakes, we decided to scarf down on some of them.

I bit down and was welcomed with a pleasant vanilla icing and chocolate cake, the same from a few days ago.

"So this is how you make them." I said to myself.

Before Natsuki could reply, we heard footsteps coming from downstairs.

Oh thank goodness, I don't think I can handle another second of being alone with this girl.

Not in a bad way, of course…

But I really need some time to think out what the hell's going on in my head!

"Who's baking?" I heard Yamato ask while going up the stairs.

He was greeted with us wearing aprons and standing a meter apart from each other.

I saw his eyes dart between us and the cupcakes.

"Why are you two making cupcakes? It's almost nine o'clock. We are going to have dinner right about now." He asked, apparently very baffled. "Hey, wait a minute… did you do anything to my little girl, brat?!"

Another voice came from downstairs.

"Ah let them be, Yamato. They wanted to cook, so let them cook. They wouldn't do anything bad while we were gone." Sakura stated.

Yamato frowned and gave me a warning glare, something that has no effect on me whatsoever.

And so I rolled my eyes, not wanting to put up with this.

"Val and I wanted to share some recipes, so we decided to cook for a bit while you guys were gone." Natsuki piped up, hoping to dissuade the sniper from pressing us any further.

She whipped her head to me which I silently nodded back at her.

"Ah, you can cook, Val? That's impressive!" Sakura stated, beaming the same smile that her daughter has.

It obviously reminded me of the girl next to me, so I tried my best to stay stable.

"T-Thank you, ma'am." I politely thanked, hoping that I could get out of here as soon as possible.

She put a hand on her hip.

"Ma'am, eh? You used to call me by my first name back when. Look at you now!"

Back when…?

I met Natsuki's parents when I was younger?

Or is she mistaking me with someone?

"Anyway, call me Sakura. I am not old, and I am sure as hell I ain't old." She replied.

Yamato put his hand on the table and leaned in.

"As for me, you will refer to me sir. Understood?" He demanded.

Sakura whacked the back of his head.

"No, he won't! He will call you by your first name and there will be no repercussions! Got it?!" She berated the grizzled veteran.

He rubbed the back of his head and frowned.

"But Sakura…"

She didn't want any of it, however.

"No buts! I don't want to hear it!" The dominant wife yelled, before turning to us. "Anyway, would you like some dinner?"

I bowed towards them.

"Sorry, Sakura. I don't think I will be able to join you for dinner."

Maybe I should leave…

If I stay around any longer then I will definitely mess up somehow.

But…

Natsuki will get sad if I do leave.

The wife raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm? Are you leaving so soon? And you plan on leaving while there's a storm rages on?"

Before I could give an answer, Natsuki grabbed my arm and hugged it.

When I looked at her, she gave me a pleading look.

Her eyes…

They look so pained and scared.

I could've sworn I saw her eyes just like this when I was younger.

But doesn't make any sense.

We never met as children…

Right?

Her lips started to quiver as I was struck with indecision.

And so, to ease her mind I gave her a reassuring smile and turned towards them.

"No, of course not. Natsuki and I planned on having a sleepover… even if it's a school night, since there was no one at my house. But since the storm changed our plans, that doesn't mean I want to cancel what he wanted to do." I confidently stated.

I felt Natsuki hug my arm even tighter than before.

"Thank you…" I heard her whisper.

Because of that, I couldn't help but smile at them, even if it looked dorky.

Yamato crossed his arms and gave me a look.

"So does that mean you're staying for dinner?"

I shook my head again, causing him to lean in from surprise.

"What?!"

Sakura sighed and shook her head.

"He is going to stay over, but that doesn't mean he is going to stay for dinner. Look at them! They're full!"

She scoffed at her husband.

"Aren't you a sniper, Dear?"

He sighed and crossed his arms.

"I am, but I don't have an eye for social situations. You have that." Yamato answered.

His wife smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, you redeemed yourself with that."

She looked at Natsuki.

"Would like you like dinner, Cupcake?"

Natsuki realized that she was still hugging my arm and awkwardly pushed herself off me.

"U-Um… no thanks, Mama. Val made some udon and I ate that with him, along with some cupcakes I made."

Sakura smirked at me, as if saying that she was impressed, before looking back to her daughter.

"If you say so. You two could carry on with you sleepover, I'll make sure that my knucklehead of a husband won't interrupt you two."

I really need to ask them how they know me…

Or if correct them on their mistake.

I took Natsuki's hand and led her to her room.

"Don't have too much fun!" She teased, while we walked to Nat's room.

We both shivered from her words.

Once we made it to her room, Natsuki let go of my hand and collapsed on her bed.

Wow…

She looks exhausted.

Maybe she would want to turn in.

That's good, especially now that I can have some time to think for myself.

With a sigh, I started to stretch and hopefully make myself sleepy enough to fall into a deep sleep.

However, Natsuki jumped up from her bed and woke up.

"We still have the whole night, so let's make the most out of it!" She declared.

But now I have to get through this first.

Natsuki wants to spend time with me, so I guess I don't mind.

Right now, I need to crush these strange thoughts and think about how much fun we are gonna have.

"If you say so. Now, what do you want to do?" I asked, ignoring what happened between us for the time being.

Natsuki tapped her chin and pondered.

"Let's see… ah! Why don't we pick up some Parfait Girls? We can read them together!"

That's a bad idea…

"Hold on, what about your reason on not keeping manga in your house? What if your mom finds out that we have been reading manga? Remember she has a vendetta against everything you're doing?" I stated.

She waved her hand dismissively.

"Ah, don't be such a spoilsport, Val. Did you forget that Mama is not going to bother us? We basically can have sex and she wouldn't bat an eye!"

…

…

…

What?!

Natsuki realized what she said and put her hands up dismissively.

"Um… not that I want to! Also… I don't how what that is, but it's apparently taboo! Hehehe! But you get the idea! W-We aren't going to bothered at all, alright? So let's read some Parfait Girls!"

I sighed, knowing that she wouldn't let up on with her favorite manga series.

"Alright, let's get started on reading some of that manga you love so much."

But before Natsuki could even respond, my phone started to vibrate.

I pulled out my phone and checked who it was.

Monika?

Why is she calling me now?

I picked up the phone and put it next to my ear.

Natsuki patiently waited on the bed and simply looked out the window to give me privacy.

"Hello?"

"Val? Val, where are you?! Why aren't you home right now?!" Monika immediately asked.

What the?

"Mon, hey. I'm just-"

"Are you okay? Do you need an umbrella or anything or-"

Oh, she's worried about me.

That's cute really.

"No, no. I am fine, trust me. I am hanging out in Natsuki's house." I answered, stopping her worried questioning in its tracks.

There was a rather long and awkward silence on the other end of the phone.

Natsuki turned around to me, also confused about the apparent silence.

I was about to ask her what was wrong, but she finally sighed.

"Oh… so that's where you are. Why didn't you tell me earlier? I was so worried that you were lost or something."

…

Why do I get the feeling that it's about something else?

My head's picking up all sorts of strange signals all of a sudden and I am starting to feel a bit dizzy.

"Sorry, it's just that I didn't know you wanted to know where I was. Why? Do you need me for something?"

*BOOM*

A thunder cracked into the skies, causing Natsuki to yelp out of fear.

I was about to comfort her, but I stopped in my tracks because of the phone.

"Wait, was that Natsuki? What are you two doing?"

I don't like how nosy Monika's being all of a sudden.

But to get her off my back, I need to answer her but keep it… half true..

"Yeah it was. She's a bit sensitive to thunder." I whispered. "Is everything okay in your end?"

For some reason, I was able to pick up Monika being somehow frustrated over the line.

"I'm not scared of thunder, if that's what you're asking. Ainu always had thunderstorms whenever it rained, so I had to get used to it. Anyway, are you going to stay over at **her house?** "

Why did she have to say it like that?

"It's pouring out and I forgot to bring an umbrella with me. Not to mention it's pitch black out… I don't think I am gonna be home for the night."

There was another pause.

"I... I see. Well, the reason I called was that I was hoping we could maybe sleepover and catch up. You know, since we didn't really talk for a couple of years. But it looks like that's something we could do later, right?"

That's right, we need to catch up and maybe talk about what exactly happened four years ago.

I need some answers.

Monika wouldn't have left out of her own accord, right?

There has to be something that happened when it all went down, but I don't know what!

"Yeah, of course! I'll make some time for that, I promise."

I could tell Monika was smiling.

"Thanks. I wanted to get to know you better after all these years, you know? By the way…"

She whispered that last part so I had to pay extra attention to what she was going to say.

" **Don't do anything funny with her**. Got it? Ahaha…"

I have to admit, her voice managed to send a thousand shivers down my spine, but I was able to brave through it somehow.

"Mon, I am not a teenager anymore. I have a lot more control over my hormones, compared to how I was four years ago. Cut me some slack!" I joked.

She giggled at my joke.

"Ahahaha! Alright, you know what I meant, Val. I'm just saying."

For some reason, that giggle doesn't make my heart jump compared to Natsuki's.

"Heh, whatever. See you, Mon."

"Okay, bye Val!"

I then hung up the phone and looked over to the cupcake.

Natsuki was looking with her arms and legs crossed, sporting her classic glare.

"Took you long enough. I am the main girl in this route, remember?! This is all about **me, me, me!"**

I was taken aback by Natsuki's borderline yandere outburst.

"Um… okay, Nat?"

She rubbed her eyes to wake herself up.

"Argh. Yeah, I am. I have no idea what came over me. For some reason I felt possessive over you and selfish. Anyway, now do you want to read some manga with me? Hopefully without any more distractions?"

I let out a heavy sigh.

"As long as Yuri doesn't call me, then it's all good."

For a split second, I saw Natsuki's eyes turned to a darker shade of pink, before going back to their bright hot pink color.

"What do you mean? Don't tell me you have her number!"

I laughed sheepishly at her accusation, causing her to grit her teeth.

"Why do you have her number?!" She asked, the dark shade of pink now covering her eyes again.

Uh…

Why is Natsuki so terrifying all of a sudden?

In any case, I need to stand my ground, even if she's being a bit of a yandere.

"Well, I am gonna be honest with you. I didn't get her number. She found mine by asking Tom in the first meeting of the literature club."

That didn't really appease her.

"Did you say anything to her just yet?"

I shook my head to a slow no.

She then took a deep breath and let it out.

"Jeez… what is this? A shoujo manga? And you're a shoujo protagonist? Are you trying to have a harem, Val?"

…

What?!

I recoiled my head from her question, causing her to be surprised.

"A harem? Do you really think that sort of crap works in real life? I mean sure it existed a long time ago, but I firmly believe in true love. You love one with all your heart and only one, not two, three, or whatever. That isn't my cup of tea, Nat." I answered with a bit of force.

Out of the reactions I expected, she was completely taken aback.

Her eyes were widened and she steaming out of her head.

"Oh… in that case. Good."

I rewinded the words I said to her and realized I was being a bit too harsh on fighting back.

"Sorry for saying all that, Nat. All those years of Parfait Girls must have gotten into me. It's just… as weird as it sounds, I really hate how girls fall for the same guy only to have their hearts broken. The dilemma and drama isn't worth it, and I would… abhor to be in that type of situation."

Abhor…

That's a word I used a while ago.

She put up a hand to stop me.

"I know, I know. You aren't the type of guy to go around breaking girls' hearts intentionally. Many harem main characters do that all the time, but for some damn reason the writers always finds a way to make the character likable somehow."

I gave her a snap, as if knowing where I was coming from.

"Exactly! That's what I meant! It all boils down to one choice, a choice that will hurt everyone involved no matter what."

The thunder cracked through the sky, causing Natsuki to jump up and squeeze me for dear life.

Since we were in a conversation, the shake-up was a lot more severe.

"Ack! Nat! You're squeezing me!"

She pulled away, albeit very reluctantly.

"My bad… I was surprised by how close the thunder was. Anyway, we're wasting too much time! Let's read some manga! For real!"

She patted the bed and offered me a place next to her.

Uh oh…

There's that weird feeling in my gut, knowing something is going to happen!

Instead of listening to my gut feeling, I decided to go against it and lie down next to the girl.

Natsuki gave me some space and put the manga on top of her chest.

Once I laid down, my nose was immediately hit with strawberries and sugar.

I couldn't help but take a deep breath out of the aroma I was in.

Wow… This smells amazing.

Strawberries and sugar…

The combination of both feels so nostalgic.

And her bed is a lot comfier than I thought it would.

I could actually sleep here forever…

"Baka… do you really want to sleep right now?"

I realized that my eyes were closed shut from how pleasurable the aroma was.

Wake up!

"Huh? Shit! Sorry, Nat. I didn't know how tired I was in the first place. My body kind of shut down when I laid down." I hurriedly answered.

She playfully scoffed at me.

"Pff, I don't blame you. You had a long day, right? Running in the rain, cooking recipes, and falling asleep in a cute girl's bed, huh? I don't blame you."

I frowned at her line of reasons.

"Hey, you did the same things I did! How come you aren't tired?"

She shrugged.

"Maybe it's because I am younger than you… Or I have a better stamina. I'm betting on the latter."

Latter?

Since when did she get so fancy with words?

"Shut up. I can tell you're tired too, Nat. Your body says it all."

Natsuki turned to me with a smirk.

"Oh really? So what else does my body say?"

…

Is this supposed to be a trick question?

"You want to sleep? I don't know." I nonchalantly answered, now wanting to rest.

She shook her head and picked up the book.

"Nope! I want to read some manga!"

For the love of…

"Alright, fine. You can read manga, while I close my eyes for a bit." I joked, letting the nostalgic aroma surrounding put me to sleep.

My eyes grew heavier and heavier as I tried to stay awake.

* * *

The world around me started to lose color for some reason.

"Val? Are you actually going to sleep?"

Am I?

Am I going to sleep?

…

I guess I am.

But where am I sleeping?

…

On Natsuki's bed.

Does it really matter where I sleep?

I'm exhausted and I need some rest.

The last sane thought in my head kept me awake still.

I shot my eyes up and got up from bed, startling Natsuki.

"Ah! What the hell, Val?! Are you going to sleep or not?!"

My head started to pound for my last-second change of heart.

And so I groaned from the pain, rubbing my head.

The pain caused me to cough roughly, causing my chest to burn up.

Natsuki rubbed my back to help me feel better.

I felt my body substantially weaken the more time I stayed awake.

My body struggled to maintain a steady breathing pattern.

What's wrong with my body?

Did I come down with a cold?

Once I recovered and shook my head to stay awake.

No, I hope not.

"Val! Are you okay?" Natsuki cried.

My head started to pound again, meaning that I needed to sleep as soon quickly.

"Yeah… I am. Where's the kotatsu? I'll set it up." I asked.

I felt an incredibly pissed off aura behind me, but I failed to pay any attention to it.

As I got up to leave, I felt a gentle but firm grip on my shirt, pulling me down to Natsuki's bed.

I was then greeted with soft pillows, different from what I had a few moments ago.

For a second, I thought Natsuki was going to unleash hell on me, but instead…

She was brushing my hair gently.

"Stop. Stop doing to yourself. You… You're such a baka, Val… Why do you always push yourself into things like this? Why do you always try to be so polite at the cost of your health? At first it was sweet, but now it's starting to worry me."

Her voice started to waver at the last sentence.

"You were the one who was the most wet in the storm, but you wanted me to take a shower. And right now, when you were about to fall asleep… you had to be so selfless and wake yourself up. Your body couldn't keep up when you woke up, Val. I got so worried... "

That's…

That's all true.

I tried to hide the fact that I took most of the rain.

But somehow she knew…

I just didn't want her to get wet.

That doesn't answer why I am trying so hard to protect her.

Everything I am doing feels like there's a chance for redemption.

But I don't know what for.

Why do I feel so guilty?

Why?

"Why?" She choked out. "Why are you being so protective of me? Why are you pushing yourself so much, Val?"

I felt something wet on top of my forehead.

Rain…?

My eyes opened to see a girl with pink hair, crying with her beautiful pink eyes closed shut.

She bore a strong resemblance to Natsuki, only being a lot younger than she was.

Natsuki?

The thunder cracked right outside, flashing and showing that it wasn't that girl, but Natsuki.

Why am I pushing myself?

Why do I feel so guilty?

…

"I'm sorry."

Her eyes fluttered open.

"I… I thought it was the right thing to do. Whenever I look at you, I have this strong desire to make you happy. And I don't know why. It's like if I don't see you smile, then I wouldn't know how to live with myself. So that's why… That's why I try to push myself and go out of my way to make you happy." I confessed, tracing my hand across her tear-stricken cheek.

Her eyes wavered from my words before she smiled.

And that took away my pain.

"You… really are a dork, aren't you? I-If you really want to make me happy, then I want you to be honest with me and tell me what you really want. I don't want to hear what you're supposed to say, instead I want to hear what you want to say. So please… tell me what you want."

Telling her what I really want…?

So tell her my innermost thoughts, no matter how dark or rude they can be?

If it makes her happy, then I will do my best.

"Okay… for starters. What I want to know, is what am I sleeping on right now? These can't be pillows, right?"

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes of tears.

"No, they aren't pillows. It's my lap yer sleeping on. Why?"

Her lap?

So this is why it's so comfy.

"I like them… they are as soft as wool." I answered.

Natsuki continued to caress with my hair.

"Really? Do you want to sleep on them?"

I snuggled myself against her lap, causing to giggle.

It was the same giggle that made my heart skip a beat.

"As much I want to, not for moment. Right now, I want to sleep on your bed. But I do want you to be comfortable too, Natsuki."

The thunder cracked again, but this time she didn't flinch at all.

Instead she was invested in staring warmly into my eyes.

"So what do you want to do, Val? Do you want me to sleep on the kotatsu?"

I lightly shook my head.

"No… I want… I want you to sleep right beside me, Natsuki."

* * *

Did he…

Did Val just say he wants to sleep next to me?

It's going to be weird, considering how close we will be.

And what will Papa do if he catches on sleeping on the same bed?

He said that I might get pregnant if I sleep with a guy.

So does that mean Val wants me to be pregn-

"And no, sleeping right beside me won't get you pregnant. Making babies is a simple yet intimate process that wouldn't make sense to do right now." He answered, washing any doubts away.

Oh, so I don't get pregnant?

Well, even if we do sleep on the same bed, I still don't know…

NO!

Stay strong, Natsuki.

Val already did so much for me, and I won't let him down right now.

"If you want to, then I will do it." I declared.

My lips feel all tingly!

That felt great to say!

I shifted my self and laid him on the pillow.

Once he was on the pillow, I turned off the lamp keeping the room illuminated.

My bedroom was now engulfed in darkness with my crush to keep me company.

I laid right beside him and tried to relax, but couldn't.

The moonlight was the only source of light and it was cast over his face.

He blinked slowly and turned to me.

I instantly looked away.

"Is there something wrong?" He routinely asked.

No…

He can't ask me that question in the condition he is now.

"There's nothing wrong, Val. Can you sleep?"

He shook his head.

Damn it.

What's one that can help people sleep?

Let's see… Aha!

When I was younger and was terrified of thunderstorms, I used to sleep with my parents.

They held me so I wouldn't feel scared and I felt safe in their arms.

So does that mean he wants to feel safe as well?

Hmm…

What's the word for it called?

"Well… do you want me to hold you?" I asked innocently enough.

That was almost enough to break him out of his weakened state.

"Hold me…? You mean you want to cuddle?"

…

…

…

Ehhhhhh?!

C-C-Cuddling?!

That's what it is?!

So every girl in ecchi was doing that?

Argh, get a grip Natsuki!

This won't be such a bad thing!

"Yeah, do you want to cuddle?"

He stared up at the ceiling and thought carefully about his next few words were going to be.

Val slowly looked to me with a smile.

"If you want to. This is something you also have to agree to. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable because of me. Would this make you happy?"

There he goes again being selfless.

I hugged him tightly and burrowed myself into his chest.

"I will be happy no matter what you do. And I also never feel uncomfortable if I am with you Val. So yes, we can cuddle if you want."

He responded by wrapping my arms around my back and bringing me close.

It felt as if we were hugging, but it was a lot more intimate and fulfilling than any old hug.

"Good…" He muttered. "Cuz, this is what I wanted to do."

We held each other in our arms and decided to enjoy the moment presented to us.

I wasn't sealing this off for research or was feeling embarrassed from close we were.

Instead I was enjoying this moment as best I can.

He's happy now because of me.

And I'm happy because of him.

Is that…

Is that what love is?

I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes.

He wants to see my smile everyday…

And he does everything I can to be happy.

Is that why he agreed to help me, minus the guilt trip?

To make me happy?

And… why does he remind me of a boy that I met a long time ago?

It's making me confused.

Who was that boy?

I saw him when I let Val sleep on my lap and he looked a lot like Val.

Could he be… Val?

No, it can't be right?

We never met when we were younger?

But then again, Mama keeps mentioning how he has grown to be a young man.

Does Mama know who he is?

I looked up to him and saw that he was close to falling asleep.

"Val…?" I called to him.

He didn't respond but only responded with a subtle squeeze around my waist.

I smiled for no apparent reason.

After all he did for me.

He deserves a reward.

"After everything you did for me, I want to give you a reward."

I pulled upwards and leaned in.

*Smooch*

Val then started to drift off to sleep right after I kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight, Dear. I…"

With a mischievous smile, knowing he wouldn't hear this, I pursed my lips.

"I love you."

The world around me was filled with bustling cars and noises everywhere.

No one would bat an eye towards anyone in this part of the city, since everyone was in a rush.

Where…

Where am I?

The place I was in looked familiar, but at the same time looked very nostalgic too.

I felt powerless for some reason, and thought the world was a much darker and mysterious place.

However, I knew what the signs read and could navigate my way out of here.

My legs weren't in control as they were on auto-pilot and walked down the street.

I walked around the corner to a rather quiet street with no pedestrians or cars in sight.

Except, I saw a pink-haired girl sitting alone.

As I walked closer and closer, I realized she was crying.

She rubbed her eyes and cried feeling hopeless.

I couldn't stand the sight of a little girl crying, so I decided to do something about it.

But instead, a boy the same age as her walked up to her.

"Hey... Are you okay?" He asked.

The girl looked up to him and stopped crying.

He then knelt down and gave her some headpats, which stopped her from crying.

"It's okay… tell me what happened! I will do my best to help!"

The pink haired girl sniffed and hugged him.

"I-I-I'm scared… I don't know where my Mama and Papa are. Can ya help me?"

He hugged her back.

"Sure, I can help you! My Mommy and Daddy said that if you ever get lost, ask the police for help!"

They pulled away from the hug.

"R-Really? My Papa works for da police… so they can help right?"

He nodded enthusiastically and held her hand.

"Mhm! That's so cool! Come on, let's go find an officer!"

She rubbed her eyes and squeezed his hand.

"Okay... "

They stopped for some reason.

"U-Um… Are you sure they will help us?"

He turned to him with a warm smile.

"Yep! Police will always help kids find their Mommy and Daddies no problem! So don't worry!"

The girl mellowed up and smiled back.

"O-Okay…"

And so they started to walk towards a direction, in hopes they can find the police.

I should help them…

But as soon as I took a step towards them the world started to glow a bright white.

It grew to the point where it blinded me and all I could see was white.

And then all I saw was pitch black darkness.

"I love you."

…

Huh?!

What's going on?

Who… Who said that?

I forced myself to wake up from whatever was going on.

My eyes slowly opened, no matter how fast I tried to open them.

The surroundings were now completely different, as I was not outdoors any longer.

It's… the indoors.

Where am I?

This doesn't look like my room at all.

I blinked a couple of times to get a semblance of where I am.

But each time I did, an annoying blurriness would clog up my vision completely.

I had to rub them out of my eyes so I can see clearly again.

Once I had a clear vision, I examined my new surroundings carefully.

Right…

I am in Natsuki's room.

We had a sleepover despite us being exhausted and heading to bed earlier than expected.

Oh well, at least we spent time together.

Wait a minute, if I am not sleeping on a kotatsu, then where am I sleeping in?

I am feeling a lot more comfortable and warmer than usual.

Why is that?

My eyes finally looked down onto the bed I was sleeping in and realized something was terribly off.


	16. Cupcake(Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

I awoke curled up against something poking my butt, but I don't know what it was.

What's… poking me?

Not to mention, my bed isn't this warm all the time.

Did I add a pillow or two last night?

Nope, I don't remember doing anything like that.

And I don't remember the futon being this comfy.

My eyes sluggishly opened up and tried to get a semblance of where I was, and what was poking me.

I was greeted with my room, so I thought everything was normal.

This doesn't look or feel like my futon at all.

And so, I closed my eyes again, with the poking sensation intensifying.

Gah! What the hell is poking my butt?!

I moved my hand down to what was prodding me and slapped it away, only for it to come back with a vengeance.

Ugh, whatever.

It will go away on its own.

With that, I let my mind drift off to sleep, letting the masculine scent deliver me to my dreams.

I like what this smell is.

It kind of smells like...

That is until I remembered what happened last night.

Oh yeah!

Val's body started to break down for some reason…

I think he caught a cold or something for taking a shower so late.

But if he did catch a cold, then his body would be hot.

His body wasn't hot when he coughed…

My mind started replaying what happened last night.

Each time I replayed it, I couldn't help but focus on how sick he was when he woke up.

…

I got so scared.

For some reason, I got so scared and thought he was going to lose it all.

The way he coughed and tried to catch his breath made me… terrified.

And not only that, that baka kept trying to go the extra mile.

Even though his body couldn't the stress he was going through, he still pushed it.

All to make me happy…

I sighed, both out of disappointment and happiness at what that could have meant.

The fact that he wanted to see me smile.

It has to be undeniable proof that he's into me, right?

What kind of guy would say to a girl that he wants them to be happy and see them smile?

…

I guess a harem main character would pull something like that off, but the way that Val said it was different.

The way he said it with so much… passion means he didn't want us to be friends.

And because of that, I couldn't help but kiss him on the cheek!

…

I felt my face burn up but I grinned from what I did.

He was just so sweet, that he deserved a reward!

Yes!

Take that, Yuri and Monika!

I kissed Val on the cheek!

And…

I also kissed him on the lips!

Damn it, I wished that I could brag about this, but knowing that they're into him… that's not going to happen.

Oh wow.

If I spin him the right way, then we **could** be a couple.

After all, I think after saying all that might have changed something in him.

Maybe…

Just maybe, the baka actually got ahold of his damn feelings and know what he wants!

Maybe he actually wants to be into me!

I felt giddy from his not-so-confession, so much so that I wanted to start the day.

Val wanted to make sure I was comfortable.

But I didn't care about that.

I wanted him to be comfortable.

Sure, he was the guest and all, but seeing how much he put out for me…

It felt wrong for me not to help him.

And by helping him… I only listened to what he wanted.

And he wanted me to stay next to him.

My lips formed a smile from how happy we both were when I agreed to sleep next to him.

I remember that my lips felt tingly.

It's like that one time where we…

We kissed by accident.

Even though I said it didn't count…

I think it still does, no matter how much I tell him otherwise.

Argh, I am glad he swung with my idea like a moron.

And just like that, my eyes felt heavy and I couldn't help but close them again.

I felt my head rest against something warm, yet hard.

Whatever this pillow is, it feels like something out of Val's body.

Speaking of about his body…

Where is he?

Despite my body screaming at me to sleep more, I forced my eyes open and looked for him.

I failed to notice that he was closer than I thought he was.

Wait a minute.

My eyes scanned the guy holding me, who was a foreigner with black hair and eyes, with nothing much standing out from other guys.

But there was something that was able to be his own characteristic.

His smile.

Val's dorky smile is just so cute!

It's so silly, but I can't help but melt over it!

Argh!

Get a grip me!

My mind started to click at what was going on.

I felt my body run cold at the realization of what happened last night.

Wait a minute.

Oh…

So that's what happened...

We actually did sleep right next to each other.

This isn't any wet dream, this is real!

Val and I actually did sleep together!

Now I realize this?!

And I also said that I loved him right before we went to sleep!

Shit, shit, shit!

Does that mean he knows?!

Does that mean I fucked up because of how much I was touched with our moment?

I did all this while sleeping next to him?!

No, no, no...!

I was on the verge of screaming at the top of my lungs before he started shifting.

He shuffled a little not realizing that he was holding me, nor that I was holding him back.

Gosh damn it!

Now he's awake out all times?!

Quick! I need to fake that I am asleep!

I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped that he wouldn't see that I was actually awake.

Val stirred a little before relaxing, meaning that he probably opened his eyes by now.

Just don't even pretend that I am asleep!

Or pretend that I might be…

Argh!

Point is, don't do anything me, everything is fine for now!

Val then moved one of his hands that were holding me, to what I guessed was his eyes, so he can rub the sleep out of them.

He let out a cute yawn, something that almost made me blow my cover and comment on how cute he yawned.

The way he yawned was like a kitten!

Awww, that was so cute!

Once he was done rubbing his eyes, I felt one of his hands moved towards my back and bring me closer.

My face burned as he started to cuddle me.

If…

If he wants to cuddle that badly, then I guess I can obey.

But before I could even I return the cuddle, I felt him shuffle again.

And this time, I heard him gasp.

Shit…

"N-Natsuki?!" He almost yelled, which threatened to wake my parents up.

This baka!

I looked up to him and glared at him, which stopped him from saying another word.

"Stay quiet, dumbass!" I whispered, making sure he would follow suit. "My parents are going to go ballistic if they know we slept next to each other!"

That shut Val up and caused him to pout.

Urgh, he's so cute at the morning!

"J-Just stay calm, dork. You and I both know what happened last night. This is something you wanted, right?"

He stopped his pouting and pursed his lips.

"Yeah… I didn't want you to sleep on an old futon so this was the next best thing."

I don't want to ask him this question but…

"And no, I didn't touch or cop a feel when you were asleep, Nat. I am not that out of touch." He stated. "Again, if there was another way, then I would've taken it."

Good...

Hehe, he's trying his best to leave out the part where he wanted to cuddle!

"Oh really?" I questioned with a mocking tone. "I thought you wanted to cuddle with a girl like me? That hurts, Val."

He tried to form words from my teasing, but he simply just sighed.

"Look, I don't think I was the best state of mind at the time. Especially since what happened in the kitchen. There was a lot going on in my mind, you know?" He explained.

I playfully rolled my eyes.

"Uh huh, sure. I think you wanted to let some of that pent up passions onto me."

Wow, I did tell him to pipe down.

But what I'm doing is just going to make things worse.

Val took a deep breath and looked down to me.

"Whatever you say, Nat. Point is, I wanted to make you happy by doing the things I wanted to do. So at the end of the day… or at the end of that day, I still did all I could."

The guy then scoffed at himself for some reason.

"Jeez, I sound like some sort of white knight… what's wrong with me?"

He keeps saying that he wants me to be happy…

But why?

Why does he want me to be so happy?

…

Still, it's so sweet of him to do all that.

Even though he got sick from pushing himself, I am happy because of him.

I flicked him on the forehead for bringing up a vital point from last night.

He recoiled back a little and glared at me, to which I returned with an even stronger one.

"That reminds me… don't ever do that again." I warned. "I don't want to ever see you pushing yourself so hard for my sake or for anyone's sake, okay? You need to take care of yourself, baka. Or else… you can't take care of others. So promise me, promise me that you won't ever push yourself so hard again."

Why do I get the feeling that Val had a similar episode back then?

It's this weird feeling in my gut that's telling me all this.

Val mellowed from his ever weakening glare and smiled.

"Okay. I promise… I promise to not push myself so hard again. But I'll still make others happy. That's something that is not negotiable."

Well yeah, since it's part of your personality, I don't think you would want to change it.

I smiled back at him.

"You're adorable, Val. You might give me diabetes from how sweet you are right now." I stated.

His eyes flickered for a second before going back to normal.

"Ah, don't say that. I was thinking that you would use my middle name a little more, instead of my first."

I raised my eyebrow, surprised that he even had a middle name.

"What? Since when did you have a middle name?"

He rolled his eyes, while keeping a smug smile.

"Since I was born, shortie."

I gave him a warning glare as to not call me that again, but he was unfazed.

"Anyway, I never really told anyone my middle name and I want you to call me by it. My middle name's Gilliot. Or Gill for short. Weird name, right?"

…

Gilliot?

Why does that sound so familiar for some reason?

But the name is so… cute!

"No, it's not weird! I think your middle name is so hot- I mean, sweet! And I like cute things, so I am definitely going to you call that, Gill."

My lips…

They feel so different now!

It's like that one time when I called him "Dear"...

He was taken aback by how enthusiastic I was.

"I didn't know that you would find my middle name cute, Nat. Thanks…"

Gill forgot that we were still cuddling, so I rested my head against his chest.

"Don't mention it, hunk. Now stay still, I want to sleep more."

…

Shit, today is a school day.

I wanted to relax today!

"Um, Nat… We have school today, remember? We need to get to school soon." He stated.

I whined a little while still burrowing my head onto his chest.

"Awww! I don't want to go to school! I like just the two of us cuddling! You're so warm, baka!"

Gill sighed and decided to pull me off, but I made sure to keep a strong grip on his body.

"Argh, for the love of…"

Instead of pushing me off, he moved his hands away from my shoulder and plunged them against my sides.

In an instant, I started to laugh from his tickling.

"No! No! Stop! Hahaha! Stop! Not again!"

My grip around his body weakened and he was able to pull me off from him.

I hissed at him and tried to get back, but he put his hand on my head and pushed me away.

"Come back here! I want to sleep!" I growled.

In a last-ditch effort, I tried to reach for him but he made sure to keep me in place.

Gill held me, amused from how much I was struggling to keep warm.

He sighed heavily and let me tackle him into the bed.

* * *

Annnnd I regret this already.

Natsuki slammed me against her bed and pinned me, making sure that I wouldn't be able to move.

I tried to break out of my restraints but her grip on my wrists were inhumanly strong.

What the hell is up with her grip?

How can she push me down like this?!

My eyes wandered her grinning visage, as if she was enjoying what she was doing.

She was hovering me, with her legs on each side of my own.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the guy who works out gets dominated by a smaller girl. That's pathetic."

Her statement irked me.

…

I think she just bruised my ego.

The girl sat down on top of my crotch, which caused my body to deliver blood to the wrong places.

Haah?!

Oh my gosh…

My eyes weren't lying when Natsuki actually is a "cupcake".

And…

Natsuki's sitting right on top of me!

She noticed how disorientated I was and giggled, which added to it.

"Hehehe! Looks like you're enjoying yourself, Gill. To think you would be into this… I bet you are a real pervert, aren't ya, baka?"

I tried to glare at her but couldn't.

"Says the girl that keeps ecchi in the club room closet! I may be a pervert, but I am not as curious as you are!"

That's it.

I am going to do something about this.

Especially since I am going to get a boner.

Her eyes widened when she realized what she was sitting on.

"Damn it, what the hell is poking me? That poking feeling is back again!"

Or she doesn't have a clue what she is sitting on my morning wood.

Thank goodness her dad is very protective over that sort of stuff…

With her distracted, I drove my legs up and tumbled her around.

She let out a surprised yelp once I drove her off of her seat, to which we practically switched positions.

"What the-?! Huh?"

Right now, I was on top of her and now I was pinning her down.

Her pink eyes looked for an escape, but failed to.

"That poking feeling is called morning wood. And how does it feel to be the bottom, eh?" I mocked back, now leaning close to her face.

Natsuki frowned and whispered something under her breath.

Against my better judgment, I decided to lean in and hear what she said.

"What was that? Are you accepting defeat?"

However, what I heard said otherwise.

"I've got you now… Dear."

What?

Dear…?

Where did I hear that name?

The pink-haired girl then swiftly gave me a kiss on the cheek.

My mind went blank when her lips made contact.

Everything around me started to slow down considerably.

No way…

She kissed my cheek again.

I remember that she did that last night, but I…

My heart shut down from the double attack, which loosened my pins considerably.

In an instant, she used my weakened grip and countered me by quickly switching sides.

The amount of force she used to push me down was incredible and it rocked the bed.

Holy shit.

Natsuki's stronger than she looks.

With the counter-attack she quickly established dominance.

"Hehe! You can't keep a girl like me down for long! Nice try!"

When I came to, I realized that I was in the same position like before, the only difference being is that she was still hovering over me.

She…

She used a dirty trick on me!

And I don't like that.

So, I am gonna fight fire with fire!

With a renewed grit, I did the same thing she did.

"You're in for a treat." I whispered.

Natsuki raised an eyebrow and was about to lean in to hear what I said, but instead she smirked.

"Nice try. I know what you're going to do. Whatever you think you think of doing, it isn't going to work!"

Fine then.

Plan B it is.

And this is revenge for last night!

I felt my body starting to tense up with adrenaline as I went in.

Without giving her much of a warning, I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

I saw her eyes light up when my lips made contact.

"Ah! W-What?!" She yelped.

Natsuki looked at me with mortified eyes, completely taken aback from my attack.

Her cheeks burned a scarlet red, from what I did.

She should know that I will always get my revenge.

Fair is fair.

But then again…

I shouldn't have surprised like that.

All of a sudden, she frowned and tried her best to stay calm.

"N-N-Nice try! You think a kiss like that will make me swoon over you? Y-You wish!" She stated, trying to play off what happened.

I noticed her grip on my wrists has significantly loosened, so I broke out of my restraints and switched her around once more.

Her breathing started to become very ragged and unpredictable, however she still kept a strong, menacing look.

"What are you going to do, huh? Kiss my cheek again? Guess what! It won't work! It won't! B-B-Because I know it won't!"

She's starting to lose it.

I think I already won this.

"Do it! Kiss my cheek again! You won't! I know you won't!" She taunted with her reddened cheeks.

To top it all off, she blew me a childish raspberry.

If she really wants me to prove her wrong, then I will!

I leaned in and moved up to her cheek.

She was starting to shiver as I got closer and closer.

"W-What are you waiting for?! Do it, you wuss!"

And so I did.

Without wasting anymore time, I leaned in and gave her another kiss on the cheek.

*Smooch*

There I did it!

Now she can't say anything about that!

When I pulled away from her cheek, I noticed that her eyes had a darker shade of pink.

Her lips tried to form a sentence, but it only quivered in place.

Wait…

What the hell do I just do?

The rush of adrenaline started to wear off and I felt the afterglow of my actions.

Natsuki was completely unresponsive and simply hung her head.

Kissing someone on the cheek is a couple thing that I know for sure.

What we have been doing all this time was that.

We were kissing each other on the cheek, like couples.

But this is just research right?

This is all about her manga…

I tried to make peace with my mind with that excuse.

But there was a nagging feeling that said otherwise.

With a bit of soul searching, I decided to confront my feelings.

No.

It's not because of the manga that I am behaving like this.

…

No matter how much I try to deny it, now I know.

I…

I think I like Natsuki.

Not as a friend, but as something more than that.

My heart races whenever I am around her.

Whenever we touch, I can feel my heart explode in on itself.

Whenever she smiles, my world starts to shine around her.

And whenever we kiss…

It feels so right.

So that's why I wanted to make her happy.

That's why I was acting so weirdly while we were cooking.

I couldn't take the fact that I was feeling love.

So yeah...

I like Natsuki.

And I don't want to see her with anyone else, if I can help it.

I took a deep breath and pulled her chin to look at me.

She was frowning, something I couldn't stand.

I don't care if she doesn't have the same feelings for me.

My body won't feel at peace if I don't tell what I want to say.

"Nat-"

The door swung open, to which the both of us swiftly pushed off each other.

Yamato was standing right outside and was crossing his arms.

"What are you two doing? Don't you two have school today! Get moving!" He barked.

He kept a menacing glare on me until he got hit from the back of the hit.

"Yamato, what did I say about yelling at Val?! He was always a good child! So knock it off!"

The husband rubbed his head from pain.

"Ow… but, I really protective of my baby girl, Sakura! And these two were goofing off while they had school!"

The wife sighed and leaned against the doorframe.

"Didn't ya hear? School's cancelled. Dokisai had a gas leak again."

We were shocked at the news.

Again?

"Oh…" Yamato muttered, vocalizing our thoughts. "First Ainu, and now Dokisai? What's the matter with this country and school safety regulations?"

He then shook his head and looked to me with an apologetic smile.

"Look, I am sorry for yelling at you two. I thought you guys were going to be late and guess I didn't know any better."

I gave him a curt nod to which he left the scene.

Sakura leaned against the doorframe and smirked.

"Val, I didn't know you were brave enough to sleep with my daughter. The fact that we didn't hear a peep out of you two means you managed to even fool me that you two were sleeping. So very naughty..."

My eyes widened with what she was saying.

I put my hands up.

"Oh, no, no, no! I didn't sleep with Natsuki, I promise!"

She crossed her arms and continue her smug look.

"Oh really? Where's the futon?"

I was going to defend my case until Natsuki put a hand on my shoulder.

"Mama, Gill was feeling sick when we started to sleep, so I decided to nurse him so he would feel better. We didn't do anything funny, I swear." She confidently replied.

Natsuki's not shy at all.

What happened?

Sakura was taken aback from Natsuki standing up for me and sighed.

"Alright, if you say so. It was raining pretty hard last night, so I guess it is reasonable that you have gotten sick, Val."

She started to walk away and into the hallway.

"I am still making breakfast, so you two, wash up and come downstairs."

We both sighed once her mother was gone.

Those two are one strange couple.

I should try to talk to Natsuki again.

"Thanks for standing up for me, Nat-"

Instead of responding to me, she got up from the bed and walked out of her room.

My heartfelt off when she didn't even bother to look at me.

She's…

She's ignoring me.

Why is she ignoring me?

Is it because of what I did to her?

With a heavy sigh and collapsed over her bed.

If only I told her about my feelings before.

If only I realized that I was in love with her, then none of this awkward tension would be around us.

I am such an idiot.

I'm such an idiot.

* * *

My mind was a hazy hurricane, unsure of what to do next.

I walked down the hall and into the bathroom.

There I poured some toothpaste over my brush and started brushing my teeth.

I dared Gill to kiss me on the cheek and he did.

Why wouldn't he do it?

He's the type of guy to not back down from a challenge…

I taunted at him, knowing that he would do it.

And he did it.

Why was I so surprised?

Of course, he would kiss me.

My heart started to race from how the way he kissed me.

The way he did it…

It made me want to kiss him.

I wanted to kiss him so badly!

But I couldn't!

And if I did…

Then our friendship would be ruined.

…

Is this what it is now?

Friendship?

Now that we kissed each other the cheeks, I don't think we can call this friendship at all.

I think Gill realizes that too, no matter how dense he is.

What we are doing right now is what couples do.

How can I see eye to eye with him now?

All I can see whenever our eyes meet is to finish what we started.

I don't think I can help myself around him anymore.

There's no telling what I would do if I got too close to him.

Once I was done brushing my teeth and washing up, I went downstairs.

I searched for Gill and was somewhat glad that he wasn't there yet.

Good, he's brushing his teeth.

I am going to eat breakfast and…

Then what am I going to do?

He has to leave right after this, right?

Or is he going to stay longer, now that there isn't any school today?

I sat down in the kotatsu and put my hands together.

"Thanks for the food." I prayed before digging in.

Papa was reading the newspaper and grunted.

"Huh, you're right. The school did have a gas leak, but they were able to get some of the summer festival equipment out in time. Tomorrow will go as planned…" He read, while sipping on some hot coffee.

Mama joined in the kotatsu not soon after.

"Told you. We are still going to the festival tomorrow, right?"

He chuckled at the question.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I want to go with my two precious girls?"

For some reason, what he said bothered me.

"I… I want to go with Gill." I mumbled, while staring at my food.

Both of my parents were silent.

"Who's Gill?" Papa suddenly asked.

Mama giggled at his question.

"Yamato, that's Val's middle name. Remember? He told us he didn't like to give his middle name away, but he said it anyway?"

What…?

They are talking about meeting Gill in the past.

I decided to ask them what they meant.

"Ma? Why do you keep mentioning him like that? Did we meet him before?" I asked.

Both of my parents were shocked by what I was saying, to which I raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Papa sighed and put his newspaper down.

"Natsuki, don't you remember Val? You two were inseparable as children."

…

What the hell?

Mama her cheek against her hand and reminisced.

"Ah, the things you two did were adorable. Whenever he came to visit, you would jump up from your room and run over two him. You two played and played until you both fell asleep. All he ever wanted to do was to make you happy." Ma reminisced while smiling at me.

Make me happy…?

Is that where Gill got his motives from?

No…

This can't be real!

There's no way we met at an early age!

I would have remembered him!

"W-Why didn't you guys tell me this before?!" I yelled in confusion. "How come I don't remember a thing about all this?!"

Mama put her hand on my back.

"Did you forget the day Val had to leave for the United States? He didn't live here at the time and had to go remember?"

There was a very faint memory about what Mama was talking about.

"Don't cry, Nat! I promise I will come back and see you!"

…

So that boy I saw in Gill for a split second was him…?

"You cried and cried for days. No matter what we did to cheer you up, it didn't work." Papa piped in. "We knew there was nothing we could do, until you calmed down. You missed him a lot and didn't want to leave your room for a while."

Memories of me crying while in bed started flash in my head.

...

I remember looking up at the ceiling and crying for some reason.

But I couldn't remember why.

And now… I remember.

It was because I missed him.

More and more memories started to blend in.

I saw a younger Gill smiling at me.

He was smiling because I was smiling.

Everything we did…

We did together.

He was my only friend at the time and it hurt to see him go.

That's why I went for Gill at the first place.

Gill reminded me of my memories and I wanted to do everything I can to go back to how it once was.

"And now… he's here. He's here in my house again." I muttered to myself.

There's a reason why I want to be with him so badly.

Not because of my attraction to him or how kind he is to me.

It's because… everything we went through as kids.

There was one distinct memory that stood out from the rest.

I remembered walking up to him with a paper.

But I couldn't remember right after I told him about the paper.

That piece of paper is important.

I remember holding it and keeping it close to me.

What did that paper say?

I shook my head and looked at both of my parents.

"Mama, Papa… I want to go to the festival with Gill and I am going to confess to him."

They both smiled at my decision.

"Well even if he's a brat, he is still a good kid for you, Nat."

That sentence earned him a quick whack on the back of his head.

"Val was always a good match for you. He would love to tease you and mess with you so he can see how you reacted. But he would always make you smile no matter how tired he was."

My eyes widened for a split second at what that meant.

That's what Gill was doing yesterday.

Even though his body was tired, he still made sure that I would smile whenever I was around him.

Does he realize what he is even doing?

I continued to eat and decided to go upstairs to talk with him.

Once I went up the stairs, I noticed he was waiting for me.

As soon as I saw him, my mind kept telling me to pick up where we left off.

I can't…

I can't kiss him now!

"Nat… can we talk for a second?" He asked.

Oh no.

He's gonna talk about what happened this morning!

But I don't know if I can trust myself to even be around him!

I turned on my heel to avoid looking at him face-to-face.

"Not right now. Eat some breakfast and then meet me at my room if you want to talk." I answered, nonchalantly. "In the meantime, I am gonna work on my manga."

I sensed that he was a bit taken aback by this.

"Uh… alright, if you say so. Wait, I thought you said you couldn't work on your manga here."

Without looking at him, I shook my head.

"Don't worry, that's if I wanted to read some manga, not draw it." I dismissed before walking to my room.

He wanted to say something but decided against it.

My body couldn't keep up with this behavior any longer.

I left behind him in the dust and put my back against the wall.

This fucking awkwardness sucks!

It's so hard to talk to him like this!

Argh, I need to blow off some steam.

I looked around for my school bag and pulled out the manga I have been working on.

There's a lot of scenes to put in, thanks to the amount of research I did.

And so, I started to draw and write out the dialogue, bit by bit.

* * *

Damn it!

If I didn't kiss her cheek the second time, then I doubt any of this would have happened!

But I had to go for the challenge, huh?

With a groan, I went downstairs and smelled breakfast.

Hmm…

The air is filled with bread and eggs.

It feels so nostalgic for some reason.

Grrk! I need to get to the bottom of this weird nonsense!

Natsuki's mom should able to give me some answers.

Especially since she kind of knows me.

Once I entered the dining room, both of the parents looked at me and smiled.

Wow, even Yamato is smiling at me.

I smiled back and bowed.

"Thanks for making breakfast." I thanked, while walking up to the kotatsu.

Yamato took a good sip out of his coffee and grunted.

"It's not a problem, kid. Sakura knows how to cook everything around here. Maybe you can pick up a lesson or two." He suggested.

My eyes bounced to Natsuki's mom to which she shrugged.

"I don't know, Val is a pretty capable cook. I checked the fridge and saw that the noodles were gone, along with a handful of vegetables."

Uh oh…

"Sorry! I thought Natsuki said it was fine and you guys wouldn't-"

She waved her hand to stop me.

"It's fine, Val. Natsuki was right, we don't mind at all. I am just impressed that you managed to make some… udon with that." Sakura stated.

I meekly nodded.

"Yeah, I made some udon. Natsuki and I shared recipes; so I shared my recipe to make some of my udon. We made just enough for dinner, so that's why we were full when you two finished your errands." I answered.

That made Yamato put his newspaper down.

"So you actually went through with it?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Um… I don't understand."

He chuckled a little and leaned back.

"You always wanted to cook when you were a child, kid. I never thought you would actually follow through your wishes."

As a kid…?

That's right!

I need to ask them that!

"About me as a child… do you two remember me?"

That's one shitty way of asking such a serious question, me.

Damn it!

Both parents traded glances and looked towards me with small smiles plastered on.

"Yamato here didn't at first, but I knew who you were right away, Val." Sakura answered. "And I had a feeling that you wouldn't recognize us."

The husband put his mug down and cleared his throat.

"We remember you because you met our little girl when she was younger. Both of you met an early age and were the best of friends."

Sakura closed her eyes and hummed.

Natsuki's mother was humming a tune that I could recognize, but at the same time couldn't…

It sounds like a gospel song…

"Such nostalgic memories... Natsuki was talking about how we knew about you, so sorry about the rose-tinted trip. Anyway, don't you remember that you came to this country as a tourist?"

Wait what?

Natsuki also asked about this too?

I visited this country when I was younger?

How come I don't even remember that?

…

As a tourist?

Memories of the long airplane ride and transits started to flood my mind.

So that's why it felt so weird to sit the plane when my parents decided to live here.

My parents came here only to visit and they brought me along so I can live with them for the time being.

"Your father and I are pretty close. Even if we don't speak to each other as much before."

Dad used to be a police officer way back when.

Right now he's holding a typical desk job.

"How is he doing right now?"

I pursed my lips and avoided his gaze.

"He's doing fine." I curtly answered.

Yamato simply nodded and crossed his arms.

"That's good to hear. But in any case, you two met when Natsuki was lost in the greater city. We tried looking for her and asking the police, but nothing happened. Until you came along."

He's talking about the dream I had…

"I love you."

What the hell is going on?

This is too much for me to handle…

I don't know why that phrase keeps sticking to me.

And it doesn't help that I hear it in Natsuki's voice.

If she told me that…

"Me?" I questioned.

Sakura sighed nostalgically.

"We were at the police station and hoped that someone would find her, but instead we find a cute little boy holding hands with our little girl."

My face burned bright with her compliment.

So that kid that spoke with that pink haired girl…

It was Natsuki and me.

"Hmph… You tried to walk out of there but we caught you." Yamato stated while giving his classic glare. "We offered you something in return, but you didn't want anything."

Sakura snickered at his husband.

"Ah, I remember that. You really didn't want a reward, but Natsuki offered to give you sweets. Strange thing is, you said yes! From there, you would come over to our store and play with her everyday."

I rubbed my face and took a deep breath, trying not to be overwhelmed by the bombardment of information.

"How come I don't even remember a lot about this? Like, I don't remember you, Natsuki, or the store... Why is that?"

Were my memories repressed?

Is that why I couldn't remember what happened, but get lots of deja vu and nostalgia attack whenever I am around her?

Otherwise, this doesn't make any sense.

I could remember Monika and our childhood memories perfectly.

But for Natsuki's?

It's all so hazy.

"You were six years old, Val." Yamato stated. "When you had to leave, it wasn't the prettiest of things to see. Natsuki was hurt that you had to leave and cried for days."

"Don't cry, Nat! I promise I will come back and see you!"

My heart wrenched when I started to remember the day I had to leave.

I remember now…

I remember seeing how much she was hurt by the news.

…

I didn't want to leave.

I wanted to stay with Natsuki and see her smile.

But…

I had to go home.

A home that didn't feel like a home.

When I stepped foot into this store, I felt at home.

The bread, sweets, and pastries…

All of it comforted me.

So that's why I repressed that memory.

It hurt me to leave Natsuki and my home.

But now…

I am back.

Without missing a beat, I pulled myself out of the kotatsu and went upstairs.

"Val? Where are you going?" Sakura asked.

I glanced at them for a second.

"Sorry, I need to talk to Natsuki about this. I have some unfinished business that I need to take care of."

I need to apologize to her.

Everything that I did…

Was for her.

With that, I went upstairs and opened the door to her room.

She jumped by my sudden entry.

"Ah! What the hell, Gill?! I thought a burglar or someone broke in!"

With the memories running wild in my head, I didn't respond to her.

"Nat, we have to talk about something."

She blinked a couple of times before looking away.

"If… If it's about what this morning... I don't mind you doing that me."

She's still looking away from me…

Wait a minute.

What?

I was starting to lose track of what I came here for.

My feelings for her…

I also need to talk to her about that.

"But… you should do that for a girl you really like."

Her words echoed with mine from last night.

"You shouldn't do that to anyone unless you like them…"

I tried to pipe up but she crossed her arms and glared at me.

"So you should do that! Got it?"

Why is trying to avoid the topic here?

Does she…

Does she like me back?

Shit, if I mess up here then our friendship will be ruined!

"Alright, alright. I hear you. Now-"

She cut me off.

"Nope! I am not hearing a single thing you have to say, until you hear what I have to say!"

Argh, what does she want now?

She smirked at me, knowing that she had something in store for me.

"I still don't forgive you for that morning though, so I want to do some research as payment. Got it?"

But didn't she just forgive me?

No, wait she didn't.

Natsuki said it's okay that I… kiss her on the cheek.

But I know better that it isn't, unless we're a couple.

"Fine. What are your terms?"

She gave me her vibrant toothy smile, which made my heart jump.

The pink-haired cupcake sat down on her seat and crossed her legs.

"Well, I am working on this one scene that needs something… well spicy. I think you might get where I am getting at."

I only stared at her blankly.

What…?

She groaned at my apparent confusion.

"Jeez, do I have to spell it out for you? I need some information on a confession scene! A confession scene, ya hear?"

Oh that makes sense.

Sounds simple enough.

…

Wait, it doesn't!

How am I going to do this scene?

Should I actually confess and tell her how I feel?

Or should I… just fake it?

…

No, this is the perfect chance to let her know what I want.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Alright, I'm game. I'll do your confession scene."

For some reason, that fazed Natsuki, to the point where she started to shake nervously.

"O-Oh… so you r-really want to do this huh…?"

I gulped and nodded, readying myself for the finale.

She started to tug on her shirt and continued to dart her eyes all across the room.

"Wow, it's really hot in here. That's summer heat for ya, ain't it?"

I raised an eyebrow from all this.

Is…

Is she stalling right now?

"Nat, let's get this over with. We have to talk." I firmly said.

Her nervousness was now replaced with timidity and stood up from her chair.

"O-Okay… you take the lead then."

I could hear how hard my heart was thumping when I walked up to her.

As I approached her, she started taking a couple of steps back.

It got to the point where she had her back against the wall and I was getting closer and closer.

She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side.

It's now or never.

"Natsuki." I called.

Her cheeks were full of color as she tried to form a response.

I took her chin and pulled her toward me.

Let go of any doubts.

I am going to tell her the truth about how I feel.

"Ever since we met, I knew you were a bit different from other girls. You have a bite that leaves an everlasting pain. A strength that can rival mine. And a pride louder than a lion. All of which amuse me and keep me interested in you. But in the end, you have a sweet side that I love to see."

Natsuki slowly opened her eyes and looked into mine.

"Whenever you smile, my world lights up and everything slows down. And whenever you giggle, I feel my heart skip a beat. All of that, combined with how much you care about others… me included. When you told me that you didn't want me see pushing myself, I realized that the relationship we share isn't what friends have. That… along with your kisses, all led up to one conclusion."

Now.

I closed my eyes and leaned in.

* * *

I felt his lips make contact with mine.

My eyes started to tear up and everything I saw was starting to blur.

Yes…

All I ever wanted is mine.

He…

He likes me.

And so, I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his back and pulling him in.

My eyes closed, letting the tears run down my cheeks.

I won.

I won the race.

To think that I had no hope of having him as my boyfriend.

And to think that we would finally meet each other again after so long…

I won.

We pulled away from each other and rested on each other's forehead.

"I'm so happy." I whispered rubbing the tears off my cheeks. "I'm happy that you like me."

…

"I'm sorry." He suddenly said.

What?!

"W-Wait! Why are you sorry?! I-I thought you liked me!"

Gill pulled away from me and sighed.

"I do. I like you a lot. Way more than just being friends. I mean, when you licked my cheek or kissed me goodnight… how am I supposed to not fall for you? In any case… I am sorry for taking your first kiss, twice. You were saving yourself for someone else, right?"

I balled my fists up and gave him a death glare.

"You fucking idiot! Don't you see?! I kissed you back!" I roared.

He was unfazed and continued to frown.

"So you like me back?" He asked. "I mean… there has to be someone you like."

I can't take this anymore.

With an overwhelming surge of fury and frustration, I punched him the gut to which he recoiled and fell on the ground.

Once he fell, I pounced on him and kissed hungrily.

I pulled away and went back in multiple times, making sure he got the message.

He struggled to kiss me back at first, but was able to return the favor within a few seconds.

Gill kept trying to pull away, but I couldn't get enough of kissing him.

The rush I was feeling was nothing I have felt before.

My body keeps heating up whenever kiss…

I want more from him but I don't know what I want!

Only kissing him is starting to get stale, and I am starting to feel a little funny.

So in an effort to get me away, he slid his hands down my back and onto my butt, before squeezing it.

"Aaah!" I squealed, pulling away from him.

His plan worked, but the strange feeling that coated my body grew stronger once he grabbed onto me.

I bit into my lips in an effort to not let out another moan.

Whenever he squeezes my butt, I feel very funny.

Mama told me about this before Papa told me where babies came from.

…

So this is what arousal is.

I'm feeling aroused.

With my mind going blank, I rammed my lips into Gill's lips again and hungrily licked his lips for entry, hoping it would sate my appetite.

He opened his mouth to me and so I put my tongue in there, fighting with his tongue.

I was surprised when his tongue started to fight back, so I made sure to fight back with everything I got.

In the end, however, his tongue outlasted mine and it swiveled my tired one.

When he wrapped his around mine, I couldn't help but moan in delight.

"Mmm!"

My groin started to feel funny as well, and so I started shuffling to alleviate the feeling.

Instead, it worsened causing me straddle the man.

Gill still had his hands on my butt so he squeezed it again, pulling me off again.

"Aaaah! Stop that!" I cried, not liking how he was attacking them.

He gasped for air and groaned.

"Okay! Okay! I got the message! You can stop kissing me! Jeez…"

I didn't realize that I was almost out of breath until we pulled away.

Until then, I rested my head on this chest and playfully swung my legs, while looking into his onyx eyes.

Once he caught his breath I gave him a smile that made his heart jump.

"Ready for round two?"

Gill was frightened and tried to pull me off.

However, I continued to advance towards him.

To stop me, he put his hand against my cheek, effectively stopping me in my tracks.

"Eh? Hey!" I cried.

He continued to push me away, while I tried my hardest to kiss him again.

This persisted for a while until I decided to give up.

Gill let out a relieved sigh and rested his head against the floor.

"Thank you. Holy shit, Nat. You're thirsty, aren't you?"

I shrugged.

"Don't know what that means, but sure. Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

He continued to hold me in his arms before propping himself up.

"Well, first's thing first. How long have you liked me for, Nat?"

…

Ever since we met.

"For a long time. I liked you for a very long time. Even after you came back, I had that same crush on you."

Gill didn't look so surprised.

"I… I know what you mean. I spoke with your parents about our past." He said.

So…

He does know.

"What did they say? That we met a long time ago?"

He simply nodded.

"Yeah, we met when we were ? You were crying out on the streets and I helped you get to a police precinct."

I remember it, clear as day.

"I was lost that day. Back then, I kept wandering around to see the new buildings and stuff. Mama and Papa said that my eyes would light up each time I saw a new place. I wandered around too far and lost my parents. Were it not for you, I don't know how long it would take for the police to find me. Thanks for finding me, Dear."

He smirked at the name I gave him.

"Dear? Huh… so we're doing this now? I'll bite. Right now you're like a sweetheart. Do you want me to call you that?"

Sweetheart?

No, something about that name feels really off.

Why do I get the feeling that Monika would love that name?

"Hmm, try another." I suggested.

He tapped his chin while I still rested on him.

"Ah, okay. What about… Cupcake?"

I could tell my eyes lit up when he called me that.

"Say it again."

He smiled.

"Cupcake."

…

"Again."

"Heh! Cupcake."

I giggled at how cute the nickname was.

"Again!"

"Hey there, Cupcake."

For some reason, the name made me euphoric.

I burrowed onto his chest and laughed out of happiness.

"Again! Again!"

He patted my short pink hair.

"Cupcake, Cupcake!"

This went on for a while until started laughing together.

We don't know why we started laughing so hard, but what we do is that we were happy.

He continued to play with my hair and twin-tails, before he grunted.

"Hmm… Nat, could I ask yo-"

I looked up to him with a frown.

"Right, Cupcake. My bad. Alright, Cupcake, do you mind if you grow out your hair? I remember when we were kids, you had long pink hair… And I thought that maybe, you would grow it out? I mean, you don't have to but-"

I cut him off with a kiss, before pulling away.

"Of course, I will. I don't mind growing out my hair for you, Dear. And I only cut it short because it was a pain in the ass to take care of. Also… it's well… Because I was going through a phase when I was younger. But right now, I don't mind growing it out!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"A phase? What, like teenhood?"

I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I liked having short hair because it sort fit the punk rock scheme. I have pink hair, so cutting it short without my parents noticing."

He had a somewhat disdainful look on his face.

"Eugh, punk? I can understand pop-punk, but punk? Why not metal? I can't handle how messy the songs are and-"

I kissed him again to cut him off.

"Shut up, Dear. I like punk because it's rebellious and loud! So shut your trap, I like punk, Punk!"

Dear snickered at me.

"Whatever you say, Cupcake. You have your own taste in music and I have mine. I mean, I sometimes listen to that weird vaporwave crap, along with lo-fi. You know… go for those ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ ｖｉｂｅｓ."

What the fuck?

I shook my head to get myself out of it.

"Look, point is. Now that I am out of teenhood and a bit more in control with myself, I would like to have long hair again. I missed having it."

Not sure why he wanted me to have long hair again…

Unless…

I smirked devilishly.

"Let me guess, you have a thing for long hair, right?"

Dear blushed and drooped his gaze.

"Yeah… I do. I don't know why, but I guess it's because of you having long hair in the past is causing my feelings to fuck up." He answered.

Looks like I really made an impact in his past.

"Anyway, Cupcake. We should tell your parents about the news. We're… We're a couple now, right?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Of course, we are dumbass. What do couples usually do?"

He pondered for a second.

"Ah! Go on dates?"

I poked him on the nose, happy that he was getting the hang of it already.

"There you go! See? It's not hard to be smart, is it? A nice change of pace from being a baka, right?"

He rolled his eyes too.

"Whatever. You don't even know the other part of what some couples can also do." He muttered before we got up together. "Come on, let's talk with your parents. And maybe… we can talk about our future too."

I gave him my usual toothy smile and hugged his arm.

This time he didn't feel embarrassed at all.

This time he actually welcomed it.

We went downstairs where both of my parents were still and surprise them with the news.

Once they both noticed that we were in the dining room, they were surprised… to say the least.

Mama gasped for a split second, but then grinned at me.

Papa on the other hand squinted at us, but then gave a small glare at Dear.

"So you finally had the courage to ask my little girl out, huh? Brat."

Dear smirked at him, finally deciding to retort against him.

"I did. And I don't regret a thing… Pops."

He raised an eyebrow but smirked back at Dear.

"Pops, eh? So you finally have the courage to stand against me?"

Before Papa could get another word out, he instinctively flinched.

" **Yamato-san**. Stop, bothering Val."

And as usual, he would turn around and try to dissuade his wife into continuing his "protection" for me.

And as usual, she would retort and yell at him for trying.

"Phew… anyway. It's good to see you showing affection. Just like the ol' days, huh?" Sakura said while leaning back.

We took a seat in the kotatsu together.

From there, I rested my head against his shoulder.

"I guess so. I'm still trying to remember what happened when we were children, but I guess it will come at it's own time." He stated. "For now, I guess we're only gonna take it slow."

Yamato scoffed at him.

"Hah! I have seen this happen before. Couples say they'll take it slow, but something will make them speed things up. And given the experiences you two shared as children, I think that'll be the case."

Sakura sighed and agreed with his husband.

"He's right, ya know. I have seen this happen before, especially in life and sometimes manga. "

Wait…

Ma never referenced manga for a while now.

What changed?

She immediately noticed how suspicious I was.

"Natsuki, you know you can't hide everything from me, right? I know what you're doing."

Dear gripped my shoulder and brought me closer to him.

However all of our tensions were washed away when she waved us off.

"I am impressed, actually. I didn't expect that you would do all that work by yourself. Or did you get some help on some of the scenes?"

It was clear that Mama was aware of my manga.

But for how long?

And why would she talk about this when Dear is here with me?

"I helped her with some of the scenes." Dear piped up. "She asked me for help with some of the scenes, so I gave her with some research to work with."

Yamato decided to step into the conversation.

"Research? Did you do anything to my daughter?" He asked, but with worry.

Dear sighed and was about to answer, but I decided to speak for him.

It's better that I do anyway.

"No, I told him to help me. Gill was basically my test dummy; and we did do a lot of manga concepts and troupes. Like me feeding him ice cream or sharing an umbrella together… but we also did some intimate things. But nothing funny!"

Yamato didn't respond for a second, but sighed.

"Val, I don't approve of any man touching my little girl. But for you, I will make an exception. Don't make me regret this."

I growled at him, causing him to recoil in fear and my mother to laugh a little.

"Pa! You're missing the point! He was the test dummy! I did things to him! And if it was the other way around, I gave him permission!"

Dear cleared his throat and tried to keep eye contact with Papa.

"I-It's… true. Most of the time she wants to do those intimate concepts, I have no choice but to agree. And sometimes… well we do it by accident."

Papa scanned Dear's body language and nodded.

"I can tell you aren't lying, kid. Those must be really unfortunate accidents. Tell me one of them."

Dear was getting more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"Well… I-uh-"

Mama decided to cut the conversation short there.

"Yamato- **san** let them have some privacy. What they do together is their business, not ours. They're a couple now, let them figure things out by themselves. Natsuki isn't a child anymore."

Papa sighed heavily.

"Sakura, would it hurt to drop the honorifics? And look, I just want Natsuki to be happy and not be weighed by any regrets. Can't I be a little worried?"

Dear, despite being uncomfortable stepped in.

"I don't blame you. Being a father means you want the best for your child. And you being worried is a good thing, because you care about their well-being." He said, before blinking several times.

Dear went up to my ear.

"Sometimes I don't even know where some of those words come from." He whispered.

Papa gave him and snap.

"Exactly. That's exactly what I meant."

The wife rolled her eyes playfully.

"You're just like your father, Yamato. Very protective but sweet while doing so." She stated before turning to me. "In any case, Natsuki. What are your plans with the manga you're drawing?"

I felt my face burn up from the question.

Yeah… what do I do once I am done with the manga?

…

I should start over.

And this time to make sure Dear makes an early appearance, unlike before.

"I'm gonna rewrite some of it… And I plan on releasing some of the chapters online to see how well it does. Hopefully that will work." I muttered, unsure of what my plans really going to be.

Dear gripped my shoulder again.

"In any case, I'll be there to help her, if that's what makes her happy."

I couldn't help but smile at him.

That's why I love him.


	17. Contract(Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

We continued to discuss about what we will do once Natsuki's manga was done until it was almost noon.

I yawned and stretched, realizing that I have been sitting in the kotatsu for a while.

"So um… do you mind if we continue with the manga?" I finally asked, hoping to get Sakura's approval.

She crossed her arms and sighed.

"You know… I don't think I told anyone about this, besides my husband… But I used to be a mangaka writer as well."

Both of us were surprised to say the least, but expected her to say that.

She caught on this.

"Hm? I thought you two would be a little bit more… surprised by the news." She said, before turning to her husband. "Yamato- **san** , you didn't tell them before, did you?"

Instead of being somewhat frightened by his wife, he shook his head.

"Nope. I didn't say a thing." He simply stated, also crossing his arms.

The room got a little colder all of a sudden.

"Sorry about that, Dear." She apologized before turning to us. "How do you two know about this?"

Cupcake decided to step in for me.

"I figured it out, Mama. Remember how angry you would get if I bought manga from the library? At first I thought it was because I wasn't picking out books. But even if I did get a book, you still would look angry if it had any drawings on it." She answered, before taking a deep breath. "Also… I found out your old Parfait Girls collection, along with some old drawings."

That is a lot more concrete reason then just getting angry at any manga drawings.

Sakura tapped her chin and shrugged.

"Hmm, guess I did get angry. And Natsuki, where did you find all of my old manga collections? I could've sworn that I put it in a safe spot."

Apparently Cupcake was taken back from this.

"Safe spot as in… the attic? Mama, Dear and I used to play up there. I noticed it when while we were playing."

Memories of us playing in the attic started to flood my mind.

We played so much up there that we would be coughing our lungs out; whenever we were done because of the dust.

Then again the attic had a lot of free space.

"I'm surprised you remembered that…" I whispered to Cupcake, to which she smirked at me.

"Nevermind that. When I was younger, I also wanted to be a manga artist as well. I drew, wrote, and polished everything about my manga." The wife started to say. "I thought for sure that my manga would be a hit, but instead it flopped. Many critics didn't like the art, dialogue, and atmosphere I worked so hard on."

Yamato moved closer to his wife and held her for comfort.

"That's… That's where I decided to quit and associate anything that has to do with manga or drawings with my malice. So, I decided to become a baker and used my hate to fuel my will to become the best baker there is. And it worked to an extent."

I remember this store being bustling with customers… The quality of the bread and sweets were always top notch.

Everytime I would come over to play with Natsuki, I would go under the counter and smile at the customers over there, letting them know that I knew the owners..

I thought Sakura's temper was about to explode, but instead it mellowed up considerably.

"Recently, I found out the critics were a part of a corporation known for fake reviews and to put a stop to any competitors by using them. It was a huge scandal and I couldn't believe that all of my hard work gone to waste because of greed." Sakura continued. "When I found your manga, Natsuki… I realized how much I changed."

Cupcake started to tense up, but I kept her close so she wouldn't feel nervous.

"I forgot that passion is very important if you want to succeed. Look the point is, I didn't want you to be criticized about your manga at first, but then I realized the passion behind your drawings. The characters, scenery, dialogue… all of it had so much effort put into it. And because of that, I thought to myself that maybe I should give you a chance." Sakura offered.

Cupcake's eyes lit up like fireworks.

"R-Really, Ma?!"

Her mother smiled and nodded at her.

She reacted by hugging the everlasting life out of me.

"Argh! Hey! Why are you hugging me?!" I asked, trying to get away from her bind.

In response, she hugged me even tighter than before.

"Because I'm happy! Don't you want to see me happy?"

I grew more and more anxious now that I realized that both of her parents were watching us.

"Yeah, I do! But your parents are-"

"Yamato look at them go! That's young love for ya!" Sakura cheered.

Her husband smirked at my misfortune.

"Ah, I remember how you used to do that me. Such good times."

In the corner of my eye, I saw Yamato regret his very words before being put in the same situation as me.

He too was being squeezed by his loved one, with no hope of escape.

This continued until both of them started to calm down.

I looked out the window and saw that the sun was at its peak.

Noon…

"Mama, is there anything you want to talk about?"

She shook her head.

"Just get your manga out there. Maybe you can show the world a thing or two about us!"

Cupcake pulled away from me and grabbed my hand.

"In that case, we have more research to do!"

Aw shit!

I got myself up from the kotatsu and followed Cupcake's lead.

"Um… bye Mr. and Mrs- Woah!"

Cupcake yanked me, forcing me to follow her lead almost immediately.

We both went upstairs and into her room to continue researching.

Once we got in, Cupcake pushed to the bed and locked the door, putting her back against it.

She was motionless, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"Cupcake? Is there something wrong?"

All of a sudden, she started to giggle.

But there was something wrong with her laughs.

She then hung her head back and laughed maniacally.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Uh oh…

That doesn't look good!

When she came to, her eyes were the dark shade of pink that I saw yesterday.

Those eyes…

Something about them yell yandere.

What the hell?

Her smile was now a terrifying grin that shook me to the very core.

And that grin…

That grin doesn't look like anything I have ever seen.

…

Why am I getting this strong sense of deja vu?

It's like I felt this before, but I don't know where.

Something about this screams Monika for some reason.

But she never did any of that before!

Cupcake then scurried towards me and pounced on top of me.

Without missing a beat, she rammed her lips on mine and started to kiss me hungrily.

I felt her attack my lips with ravenous passion that I had no choice but to let her in.

W-What's with her all of a sudden?

It's like this is a side of Natsuki that I would never get to see!

And so I forcibly pulled away from her, leaving a string of saliva between our lips.

I rubbed the excess saliva off my lips and tried to catch my breath again.

However, Natsuki licked her lips again and grinned again.

Yeesh, she said she knows what yanderes are, but she is acting a lot like one.

What's a good way to wake her up?

Her grin was putting off me by a lot, so I decided to do something about it.

I quickly put my hands against her cheeks and pulled on them.

And immediately after, I noticed the dark shade in her pink eyes clear up.

"Ow, ow, ow! Stop it, Dear! Owwww!"

I pulled away once I had a feeling that she was back to normal.

Cupcake rubbed her cheeks and whined in pain.

"Aww… I wanted to have some fun, Dear! What the hell?!" She yelled, while giving me a small glare.

.

I was unfazed by it for the most part since I was building up a strong tolerance to it.

"Cupcake, you were behaving a lot like a creepy yandere. I'm not into that… The way you locked the door kind of creeped me out and I didn't like it." I seriously said.

She gave me a pleading look and frowned, hoping to sway me out of it.

"Come on, is it bad that I want you as mine? I don't want another girl taking you away from me, okay?"

I was steadfast with my words to which she hung her head.

"Right… if I didn't know any better that would be signs of insecurity. That's a red flag that I don't want at all. Why are you scared of losing me? Didn't I say that I'm interested in you?" I asked, cupping her chin with my hand.

She closed her eyes and took a second to recompose herself.

"I know, I know. You're the type of guy to be loyal. I guess, I did let some yandere feelings out. It's just that… well…" She trailed, hoping that I would catch on.

I motioned her to continue, which caused her to roll her eyes.

"You big dummy, you know that I wasn't the only guy to gun for you, right?"

For some reason, it all clicked inside my head.

Uh oh…

My eyes felt like they were going to expand forever with the sudden realization.

"This… This really sucks. I never thought in my life that this would happen at all, but this seriously?! Monika and Yuri?! Both of them?!"

Cupcake nodded slowly with regret.

I ran my hands into my hair and let out a stressed sigh.

"Why? Why?! Why am I being treated like some second, no, third-rate harem main character!"

She giggled out of my misfortune.

"Hehe, that's not such a bad thing. I mean who wouldn't want to hook up with a caring, understanding hunk of a-"

I put my hand up to stop her.

"Yeah, I get it, I get it! But… Argh. It really bothers me! I never thought that both of them would like me! There has to be better guys out there that would really suit them, right?"

Cupcake didn't really respond to that, but wrapped her arms around me.

"Maybe… I should let you know that Monika… well Monika could've liked you for a long time. Ever since you were kids."

…

She's right.

Now that I think about it, Monika always teased me about us being a couple.

Of course, with me being seeing her as the sister I never had, that would never happen.

No wonder she would a little annoyed after that.

And…

No wonder she was a bit possessive of me when she called last night.

She didn't want me to hook up with Cupcake.

I hugged Cupcake back.

As much I want my childhood friend to be happy...

It's too late for me to turn back now.

My choice is Natsuki and I am standing by it.

…

If parallel universes are a thing, then is there one that I hook up with Monika?

Argh, nevermind.

"What about Yuri? How long has she liked me for?"

Her grip around me tightened.

"Yuri… liked you the day you first met. I could tell she liked you whenever you spoke in whatever language you guys were speaking in, and by the way she acted. It was like an extra switch turned on inside of her and she was a lot more confident than she was before."

Fuck…

Both of them liking me really complicates our relationship.

No… it complicates everything.

How in the world am I going to reject both of them without hurting them?

I noticed Cupcake's grip tighten by the second.

"Cup-"

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

What…?

What for?

She pulled away from me and was frowning, something pained me inside.

"Dear, I have to come clean… about everything."

I was getting some vibes that I didn't like from her.

"What do you mean…? You didn't hurt them or anything, did you?"

She squeezed me and burrowed herself on my shoulder.

"No…! No! I didn't do any of that! It's just… Everything that we were doing right now, I mean everything we did? I planned it out just so I can have you all for myself. The manga, the sleepover, the literature club? All of it. I know you said that you wanted to spend time with me, but-but-!"

I pulled her off me and gave her my most stern look.

To which she flinched.

"Natsuki. I said that I want to spend more time with you, that has nothing to do with your quote-on-quote 'manipulation' at all! Everything we did was out of my free will, not because you were blackmailing me or anything. Remember what I said? I chose to spend time with you, so I can see you smile. And because of that, I fell for you."

The pink-haired girl was rubbing tears out of her eyes from my words, however she was smiling.

"W-W-What's with you and my smiling, huh? Why do you like it so much?"

I held her hands and looked into her pink eyes.

"To be honest, I have no idea."

…

…

…

Natsuki cringed at me and pulled away from me.

"Ugh, you ruined the moment! What the hell?! What do you mean you have no idea?!"

I chuckled from her outburst.

"Sorry! Sorry! I thought it would be a nice change of pace to see you a little pissed off. After all, you're cute whenever you're angry."

She grit her teeth and crossed her arms.

"I am cute, whenever I feel like it! Right now? I am not cute! Ya hear me? I am not cute!"

Cupcake's got no idea that denying it makes her even cuter.

"Uh huh. Cupcake, let me be the first to tell you this. No matter how hard you try to say you aren't cute, all that effort makes it cuter all around. There's no point, just accept it at this point."

She puffed her cheeks out.

"Alright fine! Fine! Whatever you say! Now, I want to hear a better fucking explanation on why you like my smile! Saying you don't know why is one lousy excuse, dumbass!"

Wow…

That's verbal diarrhea.

"Hah! Alright, I'll try my best to explain myself. Remember how I said it made my heart jump? Right now, it still does that but it doesn't explain why I like it. I don't know why but whenever I see it, I feel like I can… I can see our childhood in it. It reminds me of our childhood!" I rambled.

She started to laugh on how I rambled on for a while.

"Hehehe! You're such a dork when you try to explain yourself! It's soooo cute~!" She sang.

My heart skipped a beat when she sang.

"I know I am a dork, alright? Anyway, you should look into singing. You got a nice soprano voice, there Cupcake."

Cupcake responded with a look of disgust.

It wasn't directed towards me, but towards the concept of singing.

"Naaah, I am good. I like to sing sometimes, but singing in general isn't my cupcake. Can you sing?"

I laid down on her bed and got myself comfortable.

"Sure…? I was in the Dokisai choir along with my friends. Dan was a bass, Hiro was a baritone, Tom was a tenor, and I was a tenor too. We all had our own part in the winter festival where we sang a Bruno Mars Medley."

Cupcake's eyes widened from what I was saying.

"R-Really?! You can sing?! You can Bruno Mars?!"

I waved my hand at her.

"Kind of. Singing is easy, everyone can do it. The media just likes to exaggerate those who have record deals and such, giving the idea that only some can sing. That's definitely not true, and I am a firm believer that everyone can be just as good those pop singers, if they try, of course. Unless, you're tone deaf, then it's gonna take some time."

She groaned from my little speech.

"Bleh, do you always have a speech for everything? I mean seriously, do you have to give a speech for this, tastes in music and et cetera? Do you have a speechwriter in your head or something?"

I propped myself up with my elbows.

"Cupcake, I ask myself the same question too. I have no idea why I can say things like that on the fly. Maybe it's because of… my passion for it? I don't really know." I answered truthfully.

Cupcake was about to continue the conversation, before I was cut off by my phone going off.

*BRRR BRRR*

For the love of-!

I picked up the phone and saw it was none other than Monika.

"Hello?"

…

"Val? Are you awake? Are you home yet? You didn't do anything funny with Natsuki did you?!"

Armed with the knowledge that Monika has liked me for a while, I decided to choose my next words very carefully.

"Yes, no, and not quite." I answered. "I'll come home soon, Monika. We have some things to talk about."

"W-What? What do you mean, not quite?"

Cupcake looked at me and told me to explain to her, face-to-face.

"It'll be better if I say to you face-to-face, Monika. Trust me on this, okay?"

"NO! Why can't you tell me now? Aren't we best friends, Val?! What did you do to Natsuki?!"

I groaned, letting her know that I was getting tired of this.

"I didn't do anything to Natsuki. Look, I promise that I will explain myself when I get home, alright? From there we can talk about everything."

Monika got the message and backed off for now.

"Okay. If… If you say so. Just call me whenever you come home, alright?"

Good, she's backing off.

"I will, bye, Mon."

"Bye…"

With that I hung up the phone and let out an exhausted sigh.

This is going to be a huge mess for sure.

"Are you going to confront her?" Cupcake asked.

I only nodded.

My phone vibrated again, but this time once.

A message.

I picked it up and saw the message was from Yuri.

Fuck!

"Hello, Val. Since we have a day off, I was wondering if you would want to go the tea shop later today?"

I bit my lip, thinking of a way out of this.

Out of all days, why is everything starting to converge?

It's like the world is telling me that I shouldn't be with Natsuki.

"Dear? What's wrong?"

…

Even if the world says no, I don't care.

I want to be with her, because I…

I fell in love with her.

"Yuri texted me if she wanted to go to the cafe with her. But… I already have plans with you. I don't know what to type."

Cupcake tapped her chin in thought.

"I am not letting her get in the way of our date. Tell her you're busy for now… Or you could go with her."

She's feeling insecure again.

I followed her advice and quickly texted her back.

"..."

"I'm a bit busy, but I will let you know later"

"Nat, come on. Why would I go on a 'date' with Yuri, if I can go on a date with a girl that has a lot of cake?" I pervertedly remarked.

She was confused as to where I was getting at, but after a couple seconds her cheeks reddened.

"Jeez… You didn't have to say it like that. Thanks for reminding me that I have a big butt."

I smirked.

"You're welcome. Anyway, what do I with all… this?" I asked, hoping that she would have some ideas.

We are really screwed.

Why did they fall in love with me?!

"I don't have any ideas." She mumbled, also feeling defeated.

All of a sudden, her eyes lit up.

"Wait… I think got an idea. And this might make them happy."

That was quick.

I turned to her, since I didn't have much of a choice.

"Okay, lay it on me."

Cupcake took a deep breath and let it out.

"Be in a relationship with them."

…

What?!

Before I can interject, she put her hands up.

"I know, I know… you said you don't believe in harems, but how else are we going to get this through? Both of them got us down! There isn't a choice!"

That's an option.

But I am not going to be in a harem where I am shared!

"Cupcake, I am not going to be in a multi-person relationship. I don't care if it appeases them or not, I am going to share myself with two girls that I don't have the same feelings for!"

Cupcake sighed again.

"Yeah, I figured you would say something like that... Well, what other options do we have Dear? I-I don't want to share you with anyone else. I want you to be mine and only mine!"

She's on the same boat as me…

But what other choices do we have?!

…

I am going to stand up to them.

Hopefully, it will work.

I leaned in gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry, I got an idea. Why don't we take a stand? We have to show them that we are serious with our relationship, and we are ready to do whatever it takes to keep it! And I'll… I'll do my best not to hurt their feelings."

Cupcake's eyes wavered from my words.

"Wow… you really are serious about us. That's so hot."

She shook her head out of it.

"You're right. You're right! I am not going to let them think what we have is for fun! We are all about business! You're mine and not theirs!" Cupcake cheered with fire in her eyes. "Alright, where do we start?!"

I raised an amused eyebrow.

"Heh. I think Yuri only has a crush on me, so putting her down isn't going to be a bloodbath. But Monika? Now that I realized she had the hots for me ever since we were little, I don't know what to say…"

This is not the time for weakness.

I have to show Monika how I feel about Natsuki.

"Dear. Rejection will hurt no matter what. She has no choice but to deal with it. There's no sugar-coating that, but we can help her recover. It's the least we can do…"

She's right.

No matter what I say, Monika will still be hurt by the end of it.

But with Natsuki and I… We can help her heal after this.

"Monika's a strong girl, I know she will bounce back. But I don't know if she will bounce back something that she held for a while now." I stated.

I shook my head and got my head straight.

"We'll just have to see, Dear." Cupcake said, rubbing my back.

I smiled at her and gave her forehead a kiss.

She gave her usual smile, letting me see how pearly white teeth.

"Thanks for helping me on this shitshow. I am gonna get this over with right now."

Cupcake whined and hugged my arm.

"Aww! Can you do it a little later? I want to cuddle with you! Baka!"

I was taken aback from the duality of her words.

"We can cuddle later. We got a date remember? We can do some cuddling at some love hotel or something." I jokingly suggested.

Cupcake missed the joke and took it seriously.

"Oh, that's a great idea! We can cuddle in one of those red light hotels!"

Thank goodness she doesn't know how the reproductive system works.

"Maybe we can have a little **fun** in there too."

I widened my eyes at what she meant.

"W-What do you mean by that?"

I thought she didn't know a thing!

She playfully rolled her eyes.

"Dear, you do realize that I know where babies come from, right? I was acting aloof because I needed to get a genuine reaction from you! Come on, you have to step up your game!" She teased.

I sighed.

"So all that ecchi has taught you all that, didn't it?"

Cupcake gave me a deadpan look.

"Baka, I know because I was forced to learn it! But the thing is, I never experienced arousal before or anything like that! Well, until now."

Until now?

Oh yeah, that kind of makes sense.

After all, I touched…

…

I touched her butt.

Argh, I never thought I would do something like that, but it was the only way out.

"Okay, I get your point. We might have fun later, it doesn't really matter now." I said while starting to leave the room.

As I opened the door, I heard a shift behind me.

"Wait!"

I turned around to see Cupcake's head steaming from heat.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" I asked.

She didn't respond to me, but only took my hand as an answer.

I followed her and wondered where she was going.

The path to wherever we were going felt nostalgic.

Hey, I remember walking here…

Cupcake and I would always run here whenever we got bored in her room.

Her giggles would always flood the hallways of wherever we went.

We made it to a staircase that looked the same from my memories.

Both of us went upstairs, the stairs creaking with us moving.

Everything about this place feels so familiar.

I feel like a kid again…

Cupcake was still not speaking and insisted that I still follow her.

Whatever she wants to show me, it's gonna be something good.

I know it.

We then made it to the attic, which looked a lot cleaner than usual, mainly because of there being no toys and ridiculous fortications.

"Cupcake… I remember this place. We always used to play here."

The walls and furniture started flickering between a familiar orange and current blue.

I closed my eyes and tried to shake myself out of it, but when I came to, the attic was now orange.

Everywhere I looked, I would see toys and wrappers littered about the room.

We used to leave a mess all the time.

Yamato always told us to clean up whenever we were done playing…

…

We never listened.

"Hey, Dear! I want to show you something!" I heard a voice say.

Natsuki?

I turned to where the voice was and saw a younger Natsuki holding hands with a familiar boy.

Wait…

Is that me?

"Okay, Cupcake! Show me what you want me to see!" The boy exclaimed.

Cupcake?

Dear?

We used those names when we were kids?

Is that why they felt so right to say?

I saw the two run across the attic and enter a small fort.

The fort was nothing more than a couple of old dressers put together to make a small circle.

I felt a hand tug me towards the small circle, so I followed it.

Once I was there, I saw the younger Natsuki look around for something, while still never letting go of my younger self's hand.

We really liked to hold hands, didn't we?

Is that why I didn't feel so fazed when I held Monika's hand for the first time?

"Ahah! I found it!" The younger Natsuki cheered, now finally letting go of the boy's hand.

The boy was preoccupied with something and picked up an old handheld console.

I remember that…

That was my first handheld console I ever had.

I remember that I would never take my eyes off of it, unless someone was able to force me to.

The younger Natsuki picked up a piece of paper and held it in the air.

But my younger self didn't bat an eye to her.

"See! Look what this is, Dear!"

I was surprised when I actually pried my eyes away from the screen.

Natsuki was able to that me?

Mom and Dad would always complain that I never paid any attention to my surroundings.

I must have been lucky as hell to not be hit by a car or something…

"Huh? What's this?" My younger self asked.

The younger Natsuki smiled, the same smile that always made my heart skip a beat.

"It's a contract. A piece of paper that says we will always be together! No matter what!"

Always be together…

That's basically marriage.

The younger Natsuki showed the contract to my younger self.

It was simply a piece of paper with a bunch crayon colors all over the text.

Marriage…

Husband and Wife.

But Natsuki's clever enough to write "spouse" instead of both of those terms.

I am pretty sure what husband and wife meant at the time.

But… I had no idea what marriage is.

My younger self examined the paper, scrunching up his nose in a dorkish manner.

Don't tell me I had no idea what that was.

My younger self only raised an eyebrow, confused as to what he was seeing.

"Is this a contract? What is this? What's marriage? Is that some kind of food?"

The younger Natsuki only smirked in response.

"Don't worry about what this is! Just sign it for me!"

I gave my younger self one last chance for redemption.

He simply shrugged and took a crayon to sign it.

…

I can't believe that I was ever this dense.

Once my younger self was done signing the contract, the younger Natsuki crushed me in a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! With this contract, you will never marry anyone else!" She squeaked adorably.

Aww, even when she was a little cupcake, she was adorable.

My younger self simply hugged back.

"I don't know what 'marry' means, but okay."

…

Wow.

The world faded back to the usual blue and shook myself out of it.

Right now, we were back in the attic near some old dressers.

I felt dizzy from the sudden change in scenery.

What was all that?

I was able to remember that happened a long time ago perfectly…

Cupcake was still sifting through the old dressers in search of something.

I know what she is looking for.

"Are you looking for the contract?" I asked.

She abruptly stopped her research and turned around with confusion in her eyes.

"H-How did you… remember?"

I only smirked in response.

"I just did. Something in this room triggered that memory." I explained.

Cupcake neglected to check one specific spot, so I checked there.

I opened a drawer and found the note still neatly folded inside.

"You're looking for this, right?"

Her eyes lit up when she saw what I was holding.

"T-That's it…! You found it!" She muttered, while reaching out for the paper.

However, I kept it out of her reach by raising it high above her.

"Hey! Give me it! Give me the paper! Come on!"

Cupcake jumped up and tried to reach it, but to no avail she couldn't reach it.

She gave me defeated look causing me to explain myself.

"Look, Cupcake. You tricked me into signing this paper, back then, didn't you?"

Again, she was taken aback by my clear recollection of what happened before.

"Yeah… I did. You didn't know what marriage was at the time and thought it was a-"

"Type of food." I finished.

She hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, for what it's worth Dear. I really, really liked you at the time. You were so caring and understanding that I didn't want to share you with anyone. I know it sounds selfish, but-"

I leaned in and kissed her.

Cupcake was yet again caught off-guard and started to kiss back.

"Mmmph…"

Since we were both standing up, I hunched a little and let her use her tippy-toes to help reach my lips.

Once we were satisfied, we pulled away.

"Natsuki, I think I understand where you're coming from. You couldn't handle the sight of me being with another girl, right?"

She bashfully nodded while hanging her head.

I gently pulled her chin up so she could see my eyes.

"That's something I understand now. What you're feeling is…"

"Love."

…

…

…

"I know it's going to be pretty weird of me say right now, especially since we became a couple a few hours ago but… I love you, Natsuki. I now remember everything about our past…The bond we shared as children and the experiences we had. I want to make new memories with you and forge new bonds." I declared.

Tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"Yeah, it is pretty weird, baka. But I never thought you would love me… I love you, too. I don't want you to be taken by Yuri or Monika. I want you to be mine. Mine and only."

She leaned in and I accepted.

* * *

We kissed for a while until we were laying down on the floor together, staring at the ceiling.

Dear got up and pulled me up as well.

There I saw the paper that we both signed a long time ago, on the dresser that we used to play on.

He flipped the paper over and clicked the pen.

In English, he wrote "Marriage Contract" and the word "Husband and Wife" right below it.

"Let's sign this again. But to make sure, we aren't going to get married now, right?"

I giggled at his innocent question.

"Of course not, baka. Let's finish high school and college first! That way… that way we can finally move forward."

With a dorky smile that I always loved, he signed the paper and passed me the paper.

I clicked the pen and signed my name with his last name.

He was amused by the name.

"Natsuki… Jones? That kind of has a nice ring to it. Or it's the kind of cultural diffusion gone wrong type of thing."

I rolled my eyes and hugged his arm.

"Don't be such a pessimist, Dear. I like the name of it, even if it does sound a little weird."

He mockingly sighed.

"Sure thing, Cupcake. I'll try to be a little bit more optimistic that. Anyway, I need to leave for now. Remember what I have to do?"

I hugged his arm tightly.

"But… I don't want you to go. I want you here with me…"

He patted my head and pulled me off his arm.

"I'll be here later, I promise. But I need to get this errand done and hope that I don't break their hearts too much." He said, while grabbing onto my hand.

Oh, this is new…

Usually, I'm the one who has to hold his hand!

Dear started going the stairs, prompting me to lead him out.

We started walking down the hallway, hand in hand, and went into my room to take his bag before heading downstairs.

The store was relatively busy with some customers browsing the pastries.

I went under the counter and led him to the exit.

He pushed the door and pulled me in as well.

"Before I forget, where do we meet up? Do we meet up here or…"

I gave him a flirty smirk.

"Right here, hunk. I'll be waiting just for you."

He scoffed at me, seemingly immune from my smirk.

But from the looks of his eyes, I could tell otherwise.

"Yeah, and those people are waiting for you. I'll meet up with you soon, Natsuki."

He pulled his hand away from me and walked off.

"Bye, Dear! Get home safe!" I yelled.

"I will! Don't worry too much!" He yelled back.

Within a few minutes, Dear was now out of sight.

I sighed happily, knowing that I managed to win the race.

Everything's starting to fall in place.

And I can't be anymore happier now.

I hope the future we have together will be bright…

* * *

All that I was in my head was the date I had with Cupcake.

This time I won't mess up on my way home.

Now I know where to go.

As I walked I saw a purple-haired girl walking in the opposite direction I was.

I squinted at the girl, thinking that I would recognize her.

Wait a minute…

Is that Yuri?

Shit!

I really don't need to see her right now, especially since I am still thinking of what to tell about her feelings!

The girl also squinted back at me, but her expression brightened once she recognized who I was.

She quickened her pace and walked up to me with a small smile.

Fuck it.

Just wing it me, I think I can handle it.

"(Hello there! I didn't expect to see you around here. How are you?)" She greeted in Russian.

I have been speaking so much English that I kind of forgot how to speak that language.

"(I've been well. It's nice to see you too, Yuri.)" I greeted back.

Damn it.

I really want to tell how I feel about her feelings and all, but it's going to be weird if I just brought it up randomly.

"(So um… are you still busy? I hoped that we can go to my favorite tea shop and get to know each other more.)" She said with an ever-growing smile. (I'm interested in how you learned Russian so fluently, Val.)"

Val?

Didn't she call me by my full first name?

…

I don't like the vibes she's giving off.

And what do I say to her?

How am I going to answer her, now that I am right next to her?

My gut feeling was yelling signs to get it over with and so I obliged.

"(Yuri, let's get down to brass tacks. Follow me, alright?)" I said, motioning her to come with me.

She was confused by my strange answer but followed me regardless.

Both of us were going down a discreet alleyway, so we can have privacy.

Once we were truly alone, Yuri started rubbing her arm.

"W-What are we doing in a place like this?" She asked, now switching languages.

I sighed and leaned against a wall.

"I'm sorry." I simply muttered.

As expected she was confused, so I continued.

"I'm sorry, Yuri. I… I don't see you as anything more than just a friend. I'm really, really sorry." I said, making sure my tone was a calm quiet.

Yuri immediately drooped her head and frowned.

"I-I see… how did you know? I could've sworn that I-"

I interrupted her.

"Natsuki. Natsuki told me. And I needed to come clean." I truthfully said. "I… I understand how much pain you are feeling right now, but I can assure you that you will find a better guy than me."

She let out a shaky sigh.

"T-T-T-Thank you s-so much for your kind words… I never thought my heart would feel so sharp right now. M-May I ask who is your girlfriend right now?"

For a split second, I saw an image of a younger Yuri dressed in a dress that looked remarkably similar to Monika's.

Snap out of it me.

I am sure that I never met Yuri a long time ago.

She doesn't give any sparks of nostalgia whenever I am around her, compared to Cupcake.

And I should answer her.

It's the least I can do.

"It's Natsuki. We met a long time ago and I promised her that I would come back. And here I am." I slowly answered.

She nodded and smiled at me.

"I see. Thank you for answering me… Val, I need to go home now."

She tried to keep her smile, but I knew she was in a great deal of pain.

Yuri walked out of the corner and took a right.

I know…

I know she didn't take it easy.

As I walked out of the alley and looked to the right, I couldn't find her anywhere.

"I'm sorry, Yuri." I muttered to myself.

There's nothing I could've done.

I tried my best to not hurt her as much.

Right now, I can only give her some time for herself.

If Yuri had a crush on me and this was her reaction…

Then how bad would Monika's be?

I balled my fists up and started running home.

…

I hate this already.

Breaking a girl's heart is something I never wanted to do.

And that girl's heart is Monika's.

She has been my friend ever since elementary school and through middle school.

Doing this to her is unfair…

…

But I have to end this now.

I promised Natsuki that I am hers and hers alone.

And if I need to make a few sacrifices then so be it.

Yeah, I won't cut ties with her or anything but I can't love two or three girls at once!

No one should do that.

True love is one and absolute, a belief that I will take with me to the grave.

I recognized where I was and stopped to calculate my next moves.

Home.

And it's Monika's home as well.

Damn it.

Damn it!

I forced my legs to walk towards Monika's home and walked up to her door.

Just tell her about my feelings and commitment towards Natsuki, then leave.

That's easier said than done though.

I don't think I can bring myself to hurt her.

And so I took a couple of steps back.

Maybe I should tell her later…

If I tell her at the right moment then-

NO!

I took a couple of steps forward.

Stalling will only make this worse.

There's no such thing as the perfect moment.

If I do this now, then the damage will be lessened no doubt.

So what am I waiting for me?

Let's do this.

I raised my hand and knocked on the door.

My heart thumped as I waited for Monika to open the door.

I heard some footsteps on the other side of the door and recognized who it was.

Monika…

She unlocked and opened the door, surprised that I was on her doorstep.

"Val…?"

I took a deep breath and looked into her emerald eyes.

The same eyes that I knew a long time ago.

"Monika, we have to talk." I simply said.

Here goes…

I have to do whatever it takes…

She smiled at me.

"There's no need to. I know what happened." Monika answered.

I knew her smile was a fake but she tried to reassure it was real.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

…

"Natsuki's your girlfriend now, right?"

What the…

How did she-?

"Ahaha… I can tell because of how suspicious you were behaving during our phone call from today and yesterday."

Her fake smile started to weaken.

"Natsuki's a good girl, Val. Treat her with your love."

She then tried to close the door, only for me to put my hand on it.

"Monika-!"

Her smile turned into a death glare.

"What the fuck do you want to hear from me?! Good job?! You got a girlfriend now! Now leave me alone!" She screamed.

I gritted my teeth.

No, no, no, no!

"Monika, please calm down! I understand how you are feeling right now!"

She shoved me, causing me to take a couple of steps back.

This is the angriest Monika ever became…

I am a monster...

"You understand how I am feeling right now?! Are you fucking kidding me?! DO YOU REALIZE HOW HARD I TRIED TO GET YOU TO NOTICE ME?! I spent all of our childhood trying to be more than just 'brothers' and 'sisters'! All this is what I get?!"

…

"I do." I calmly answered. "And I am sorry."

She continued to glare at me before she completely broke down.

Her legs gave out and she started sobbing hysterically.

"Why… Why… Why…? Why did you realize my feelings after all this time?"

…

"I'm such a coward. I'm so pathetic. Why didn't I tell you how I felt a long time ago?! None of this… None of this would have ever happened."

I knelt down and tried to look into her teary eyes.

"Monika, the reason why I chose Natsuki is because of a promise I made a long time ago."

She continued to sob and so I decided to hug her.

With her in my arms, I stroked her brown hair.

"I… I promised her that I would come back to her. And I didn't keep my end of it. It took the effort of her parents to make me remember what happened a decade ago. And so, I had to make the choice of holding my end of it now. I'm sorry, Monika. If only I wasn't such a fucking dumbass when we were teens, then we would have been a couple… But right now? Things change. The only way we can do is move on."

I held her in my arms for a while, before she finally started to calm down.

"Val… no… Darling." She muttered.

My eyes widened with that name.

"D-Darling… I thought that no girl would ever take you from me. I had this naive mindset that we would always be together and we will always be lovers. But now… I think I finally know better. I wish… I wish that I learned this lesson a long time ago."

She pulled away from me with a smile.

A pained, fake smile.

"But there's a small part of me that thinks that you would always be my Darling and soulmate. Even if you're with someone else. It's so wrong, but it's also the only thing keeping me sane right now."

I gulped and decided to say something.

"Is there anything I can do for you? Anything to help you feel better?" I asked, hoping that she would say yes.

But she instead gently shook her head to a no.

"No. There's nothing you could do, Darling. This is something I have to deal with myself. But you have to promise me something."

I looked at her, hoping that she would say what she wanted.

"Love her with your heart, Darling. Do it for me."

Before I could give her an answer, she slammed the door on me.

I flinched from the sudden motion.

She's…

She's completely broken because of me.

"I'm sorry, Monika," I whispered, before turning my back home.

Before I left her yard, I turned around one last time.

"If there is another universe where we did become a couple… I hope I do everything I can to make every day of our lives worth it."

With that, I turned back to head on home.

* * *

I stood around the bakery and waited for Dear's arrival.

…

I should have gone with him or maybe I should have told the girls myself.

Right now, Dear has a great deal of pain within him.

I can tell… and I want to do everything I can to help him feel better.

…

If only-

No.

He loves me and I love him back.

I am not doubting myself on my love for him.

That's something I have to stop myself from doing.

For him.

"Jeez, Cupcake… How long are you going to stand there?" I heard a voice ask me.

I turned to him and saw that he was wearing a cute white dress shirt with his school slacks.

"Dear…"

I tackled him into a hug.

"Are you okay? Did everything go okay and-"

He interrupted me when he pulled away and went in for the kiss.

I kissed him back, only for him to pull away.

"It did… Relax, Cupcake. They're hurt, I know. But there wasn't much I could've done in the first place. This pain was inevitable and time will wash it away."

I frowned at this.

"I'll do everything I can to wash it away too, baka! So don't underestimate me because you can count me!"

He chuckled at this and patted my pink hair.

"I never had any doubts and was hoping that you would help. Come on, Cupcake. Let's have our date. We have a lot of catching up to do."

I smiled at him.

The same smile that made his heart jump whenever he saw it.

"Okay… Let's make this date one of the best! Let's go!"

AN: The after story starts at this part.


	18. Dear(Natsuki)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

It's been a couple of months after Natsuki, and I have started dating.

Needless to say, I have been happier ever since I reunited with my first childhood sweetheart.

I stretched upwards.

"What a long day..."

Right now, I was walking down the usual path home, albeit a little confused.

The reason why I was confused is why my girlfriend was distant to me today.

Communication is vital to any relationship.

Without communication, it will always be subjected to misunderstandings.

Misunderstandings such as Monika and I never meeting up to confront his dad.

In retrospect, now that I think about it... his dad probably wouldn't have taken me seriously.

After all, I was only a teenager and wasn't feeling confident talking down a development studio's CEO.

But then again, this is a Schrodinger's cat scenario, so I will never know how it would have turned out, unless if I did go to the meet up in time.

As my thoughts wandered towards Monika, I felt a bittersweet smile creep onto my lips.

Yeah, after Monika calmed down from finding out that I was dating Natsuki, we finally got to talk about what happened on that day.

A bunch of strange signals blocked our cellphones from connecting to each other.

That's our official reason, but I still have a hunch that something else must have happened in the shadows.

We made up and finally went back to being friends again.

But the strange thing is... Monika still loves me despite being in a relationship with Natsuki.

"Val, I know you're dating Natsuki. But I still love you. I will always consider you to be my soulmate and lover, no matter what. And if I do truly love you, then I will support your decision to be with Natsuki. My happiness is still based around yours."

I still feel pretty conflicted as to how I should think about this whole ordeal, honestly.

Sure, the part about her supporting me no matter what is the right choice, but saying that she still sees me as her soulmate is...

Well, in layman terms, pretty awkward. And that's putting it lightly.

I let out a small sigh from my depressing and confusing thoughts.

"She always was a strange girl," I muttered to no-one in particular.

To help combat this peculiar feeling coating me, I decided to refocus my efforts on what happened to Cupcake.

Hmm, she was distant for no real good reason.

I am sure our last date went spectacularly too, and she was thrilled at the end of the day.

That was yesterday. So maybe it must be because of today, I suppose.

But what went wrong today?

Put simply, we actually didn't talk much at all today.

Maybe I should try approaching this at a different angle.

People tend to be distant if they are hiding something.

So that must mean that she be hiding something from me?

OK, but what is hiding from me?

A surprise, maybe?

Argh, I'll just have to ask her later.

Right now, I am going to wash up and do some homework for the weekend.

With that, I approached my door and took out my keys.

To my right, I saw Monika coming up to her building, apparently just done walking with Sayori.

It's good to see her with her friends.

After all, I always want what's best for her.

Even if I am not in love with her.

The green-eyed vixen was smiling as she approached the door and looked to her left to see me.

In an instant, her smile brightened, and she waved at me.

"Hey, Val!"

I smiled back and waved back.

"Hello. Long day, right?"

For some reason, she snickered at me.

"Yeah, it seems like it. You should expect it to be even longer."

Huh?

I gave her a confused look to which she giggled.

"Oh! You have no idea, do you? That just makes things even better! Just saying, I am going to miss you."

No idea...?

About what?

Miss me?

I am not going anywhere, right?

My gut feeling is practically yelling at me that something might wrong at home or anywhere near here.

But before I can even ask a single thing, Monika bolted into her home.

"Don't worry! You'll find out soon enough! Hehe! See you at school!"

"Wait! Monika! Hold on, just a sec-!"

* BAM*

Ah, shit.

This is going to end in me being completely taken off-guard, huh?

I directed my eyes towards the door as if it awaited me.

Well, this isn't going to open itself.

Here goes!

I forcibly opened the door and jumped in a combat-ready pose.

Or at least the best I can muster while facing an unknown danger.

Alright!

Nothing wrong here!

And...

I looked around to notice the house was completely deserted.

What the...?

I thought Mom and Dad would be here.

Also, where's Mike?

I scanned the living room and kitchen a little before closing the door.

On the door, I saw a note left by my parents.

This wasn't here when I went to school, so they put this on the right after I left.

I pulled the note out and examined it.

"Dear Vally."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes from the nickname they use to tease me about something.

"Your father and I decided to go on a date early this morning, so we will be home much later than expected. Not that matters, of course. Although you aren't going to be with us anymore, we think this was the best option. Not only that, but your father also owed a certain someone a favor, and he granted it. In any case, we are going to miss you. Come visit whenever you can. You're still our eldest son, after all.

-Mom"

...

The fuck?

Those were the only thoughts in my head after reading this note.

I tightened my gaze on the strange note and re-read it multiple times.

But what this accomplished was to only confuse me even more.

Why are they going to miss me?

My dad owed someone a favor?

I should visit them whenever I have the chance?

This is my best option?

What?!

I feel like I am being trafficked over here!

What the hell!

I crumpled up the paper and threw it to some indiscernible corner.

From there, I pulled out my phone and texted Michael.

"..."

"Mike"

"Mike is typing..."

"Yeah?"

"..."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Mike is typing..."

"You're going to have to be a little more specific on that, bro."

I rolled my eyes.

"..."

"Uh, am I being sold to anyone?"

"Mike is typing...?

"No? Aren't you at a new home right now?"

"..."

"What are you talking about? Hey, get home right now. This is serious."

"Mike is typing..."

"Sorry, Bro. I am hanging out with Haru at her house. She wouldn't stop bugging me all day. Don't worry, I'm sure you're gonna like it."

I put my phone down, sighed heavily, and worried about what was going to happen to me.

But my phone buzzed again, meaning Mike texted me back.

"I promise. Don't panic, OK?"

I took a deep breath and texted back.

"..."

"OK, I trust you. In any case, have fun in Haru's house."

With a smirk, I put my phone away.

If Mike says it's nothing to worry about, then it shouldn't be all that bad.

Right...?

From there, I sprinted up the stairs and to my room.

Once I got there, I opened the door.

Like clockwork, I threw my bag onto the bed and unbuttoned my uniform's shirt.

I failed to notice that my bag fell with a heavy thud, instead of landing on my bed.

"Alright, time to take a show- What the fuck?!" I yelled.

My eyes widened at my surroundings.

No...

Where...

WHERE IS EVERYTHING?!

My room was completely and utterly devoid of anything and everything.

I leaned my back against the doorframe in complete shock.

My bed...

My closet...

My computer...

My desk...

Everything is GONE!

Is this some sort of cruel joke?!

I balled my fists and looked around once more in complete disbelief.

Wait...

Wait.

Take a deep breath, Val.

I need to calm down and think.

Panicking and losing to my emotions is the worse possible way to solve this whole situation.

The best way to deal with this is to stay calm and think.

Even though everything is gone.

With a couple of deep breathes, I managed to calm myself down.

Somewhat.

OK, let's put all the clues together.

First, Natsuki was strangely distant towards me for some reason.

Next, Monika was hinting at something happening to me, making for a long day.

After that, the note saying that this was the best option for me, and my dad owed a favor, and to visit them wherever I can.

And finally, Michael saying that I am going like this and there no need to panic.

...

Hmm.

The best thing I can come up with is me moving...

Without my permission?!

Hey, what gives?!

I like my room and the way it is organized!

Argh! I never agreed to this!

Where did everything I have to go, anyway?!

In the middle of my tirade, my phone buzzed.

I pulled out to see that it was my girlfriend.

"Hello? Nat?" I answered.

There was a cute giggle in the background, which obviously Natsuki.

"Hehehe! Hey, Val. How is it going? Is everything OK on your side?"

Huh?

Why is she asking that?

My mind finally clicked on what was happening.

Wait...

Wait.

Wait!

I-I think I get it now!

It's a bit of a stretch, but it doesn't hurt to try!

"Everything's missing. Everything! Who took my stuff?!" I ranted, hoping to get something out of Natsuki.

The girl's giggling turned to full-blown laughter.

"Hehe... Hahaha! Oh, that's so unfortunate! It really is! But I got the thing to cheer you up! Come down here!"

She's laughing at my misfortune.

This is almost all the evidence I need.

"Cupcake, as much I want to come down, I think my belongings is a priority. After all, everything I ever owned was taken!"

I get it now...

Very sneaky all of you, but I got the gist of what's going on.

"Ah, just come down here, Baka. I swear you'll be relieved when you get here! Come, onnnnn~!" She teased.

Heh, I can't wait for this backfire on you.

It's a small price to pay for revenge.

Hey, I am not usually a vengeful person...

Wait, I might be, but I learn when to forgive too.

Point is, this is going to a hell of a ride.

"Fine, fine. I am coming down. This better is good." I spat with faux irritation.

With that, I hanged up my phone and went downstairs to confront the pinkette.

I opened the door to see the girl barely keeping her laughter in.

Heh, I wanna see how long you can keep that up for.

Especially now that I know what's up.

Cupcake looked up to me with her usual vibrant, and toothy smile.

"There you are, Dear. I know a little shaken up, but don't worry. Just come with me home." She cheerily said while clinging onto my arm.

I hid my actual reaction to her words, as it all it did was reinforce my theory on the events that have transpired.

"Tch... This, well, everything, better be good, Nat. I am still anxious about my stuff." I stated with a small glare.

Hehe, maybe I should make her worry a little.

"One of those things that went missing is something significant, you know," I muttered while looking away mournfully.

Her grip on my arm tensed up, but I can tell she was trying to loosen up a little.

"H-How important was it to you...?" She muttered while keeping an unsteady gaze on me.

Fool me once, eh?

"Very important, Cupcake. If it went missing, it would be irreplaceable. And it would... really suck." I woefully said.

It's true.

I do have something to give to her.

It's something that Cupcake and I got during one of our dates.

But she has no idea that I got during that time.

I remember seeing it with awe-struck eyes but, I couldn't afford it at the time.

Natsuki literally had her face against the glass to look at the object I wanted to show her, so I did something about it.

Thanks to my allowance that my parents and some cash from working odd-jobs during the summer, I bought it.

But she doesn't know that yet.

"O-Oh... T-T-That wou-would be bad! Yeah! I swear, Val! It's nothing to worry about! Just come with me to my house, alright?! I know it's safe somewhere!" Natsuki claimed with a great deal of reluctance.

I am not to show it to the gift yet, but I do want to make her aware of it.

That gift has to be given at the proper time...

Most ideally, on our first anniversary, when we first dated.

Hehe...

It's the perfect gift.

"Fine, whatever you say, Cupcake. I trust you and your gut feeling, alright?" I declared while smiling.

The pinkette looked up to me with an unsure frown but gave me her toothy smile.

"Thanks, Dear! Those are the words that I want to hear!" She cheered while pulling me to the direction of her home.

From there, we were starting walking at our own pace, with Cupcake on my arm.

Sure, it was a little unorthodox for a girl to be so "lovey-dovey" out in public, especially in this country, but we couldn't care less.

It's the little things that count in our relationship.

If a few odd glances here and there was the cost of us showing affection, then that's a bargain.

While walking to Natsuki's bakery, she looked up to me.

"Dear?"

I looked down at her.

"Hmm? Yeah?"

For some reason, her cheeks flushed a little.

And that always makes my heart soar.

I always loved it when she is timid like this.

"A-Aren't you going to ask why I was doing the distant act thing...?"

Oh, that's right!

I totally forgot to ask her about that!

Also, I should mention I am doing a damn excellent job hiding my true feelings on all this.

Hiding anything from this girl is nigh-impossible.

She has a sharp eye for details, something she inherited from both her mother and father.

Her dad's an accomplished S.A.T sniper, known for taking down crowds of mobsters in just a few bullets.

And her mom can pick out on people's body language and facial expressions.

The fact that she hasn't caught on is impressive.

So that means I am doing a great job of hiding my body language and everything, right?

Alright!

Let's keep this up!

"Right... that. I thought you were thinking about something or mad at me for some reason. Am I wrong?" I asked innocently.

The pinkette shook her head at me.

"No... no, I wasn't angry at you, Baka! I was thinking about something!" She answered.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... so you were worried about something, huh? Do you want to tell me what it is and why it's been bothering you?"

For some reason, when I asked her this question, Cupcake looked ahead with a rather dead expression.

Oh, dear.

I think she's probably thinking about the whole situation.

Don't what in particular is bothering her, but I hope it fixes up when we get there.

After a couple of minutes of being a shell, I decided to wake her up.

"Nat... Nat... Natty? Cupcake?" I called, hoping to get her attention.

All the girl did was hold onto my arm tightly and walk with me.

Then I saw her put on a somewhat perverted expression.

OK, that definitely is going to give us even weirder looks from any passerby.

To wake the seemingly asleep girl, I pinched her hip, which glued to my hand.

The girl gave a cute "Fweh?!" and looked around frantically.

"Hey! That hurt! What was that for?!" She whined while rubbing her pinched hip.

I gave her a laid-back look and shrugged.

"Hmm, I don't know. Why were you looking at the street pole so perversely?" I fired.

The pinkette's cheeks flared up in response, springing to life compared to how it was earlier.

"I-I-I wasn't looking at anything perverted, pervert! I-I was a bit... sleepy!" She fired back.

My eyes deadpanned at the girl's response to my claim.

"Uh-huh, then for lack of a better analogy, why are your cheeks redder than Rudolph's nose?" I teased.

Cupcake's eyes widened and darted all across my face before closing up.

She puffed out her cheeks and pulled my arm down with her body weight.

Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate that she would do such a thing, so I nearly doubled over from her pull.

"Shaddap, shaddap, shaddap! I am not red! You're red!" She cutely yelled.

Even though I almost fell, it was worth seeing the pinkette's flustered state.

After all, it's one of the reasons why I fell in love with her.

"Yes, yes. I suppose I am red. Come on, Nat. Let's get moving already. Some people might stare at us." I slyly said.

In response to my teasing, Natsuki whined again.

"Auuuuu! You like teasing me, don't you?! You... you... sadist!"

I couldn't help but cover my evergrowing smile.

"Now, now, no need to call each other names. Calm down, will ya?" I retorted.

She puffed out her cheeks and held my arm again.

"Fine."

Goodness, she is so cute.

And teasing her never gets old.

We picked up the pace and got to the Cupcake's bakery.

But for some reason, before we got close to the door, Natsuki put her hand against her chest.

I turned to her.

Her typically vivid eyes turned lifeless.

"Nat? Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head and gave me a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

With that, we opened the door.

...

Weird.

I never saw her do that before.

The distinctive chime that rang whenever we entered always provoke a period of nostalgia in me.

And I always welcomed it.

The store didn't have many customers at the moment, but they were all starting to leave to prepare dinner.

Natsuki's mom was at the register while her dad was handling giving out the baked goods.

The two saw us and smirked at us, as if aware of the situation with my room and belongings.

Yep.

That's all the proof I am going to need.

But why here...?

"Well, well, well. Look's what the storm's brought in." Yamato teased.

Tch.

I have a good feeling that you were the one that my dad owed a favor to.

My gut feeling is seriously going haywire right now!

"Val, a little birdie told me that you were going through a... personal crisis." Sakura tag-teamed, showing off the same fang Natsuki has.

Cupcake got off my arm and put her arms on her hips, looking proudly up at me.

"Hehe! Dear here said all his stuff was missing and he doesn't have a clue why! So we all decided to help you!" She declared with a boisterous smirk.

I can taste how sweet revenge is going to be.

Just you wait.

"Really? You guys are going to help me?" I asked jumpily, hoping to mimic a genuine reaction.

The married pair looked at each other with a knowing look and nodded at me.

Time to strike!

Before they could say another word, I stole the spotlight.

"OK, OK! That's enough of the shenanigans. Now let's get down to brass tacks. Where is my stuff? Where did you guys even have the space to put all my stuff away?" I asked with a mock glare.

...

...

...

"EHHHH?!"

I couldn't suppress the smirk on my face, silently relishing how I could deduce everything.

The Natsuki family was taken completely off-guard by my bold claim.

"How in the-"

"World did you-"

"Know that everything's here?!" Natsuki yelled in complete disbelief.

I can only scratch the side of my cheek in fake embarrassment.

"Well... it all sort of adds up. I had a feeling that you guys were planning something. I pieced together all the evidence that was given to me. Everything from Natsuki not really interacting with me in class, my parents leaving me a goodbye note, and the conveniently timed phone call... It was a bit of a stretch, sure. But it looks like it all comes together to the end. The question is... Why?"

Yamato was the first to break out of the family-shared shock and gave me a small glare.

"Kh...! You brat. I didn't expect that my girl would bring someone like you in my home!" He grumbled while crossing his arms.

As usual, Sakura didn't take kindly to his husband's tsun behavior.

"Yamato- **san** , treat him with respect. Ya hear?" She warned while cracking her knuckles.

And like so, his husband backed off, as his usual henpecked routine.

"A-Alright! It just... I thought you would panic while Natsuki dragged you from your house, worrying about your belongings. But it looks like you aren't like that, are you?" He bemused.

I couldn't help but smile at the astounded veteran.

"All I did was calm down and tried to piece the evidence together so I can stop my head imploding from the stress. After all, it wouldn't make sense to have my things moved like that."

The disgruntled sniper finally sighed and rested leaned against the counter.

"Impressive. One of the things they drilled into you in the SAT was to stay calm and think your actions carefully. But in any case, you want to know why all your stuff is here, isn't that right?"

I nodded, ready to hear his explanation.

His stern facial expression finally mellowed out, and he smiled.

"Well, didn't I tell you that your dad and I were close buddies?" He asked, hoping to jog my memory.

He did say that, but all I know is that my dad was a police officer of some sort before getting a desk job at a corporation...

"He and I hung out in a long time once you and Natsuki became a couple. And since he owed me a favor, I asked that he moved everything that you had into our new guest room. Since you're going to be my future son-in-law, I want to shape you up to be a worthy man for my girl." He explained.

I looked to Natsuki, who was looking down on the floor with an utterly scarlet face.

...

Wait, what?!

Son-in-law?!

"S-Son-in-law? You mean..."

The sniper smirked at my stupefied expression.

"Hmph, we'll see about that. That we'll leave for the future. In any case, I want my little girl to be happy, so this is one of the unorthodox options I had in mind. Anyway, the reason why your dad agreed to all this is that what you also wanted?"

Now it was my turn for my cheeks to burn bright.

"W-What?! H-How did you..."

Sakura laughed at my red face.

"Oh, Val. I overheard you telling Natsuki that you liked our home and wished you could live here. Isn't that right?"

I facepalmed from what I said at that time.

"You know, Cupcake... If I had the chance to be closer to you, the first thing I would try to live closer to you. Hey, this place isn't half-bad to live in, don't you think?"

I groaned from that resurfaced memory.

"Ugh, yeah. I guess you're right. But isn't it a bit of stretch to even do this?"

Yamato nodded slowly at my words.

"Yes, it is. But knowing you, you wouldn't object now, would you? And it's not like we wouldn't want you here or anything!"

...

...

...

Did Natsuki's dad give the usual tsundere routine?

I looked at Natsuki again, who was staring at me with timid eyes.

Might as well tell the truth.

"Again, you're right. But could at least know why my dad owed you a favor?" I asked

The veteran smiled as he reminisced in his memories.

"Of course. It's mainly because I saved his life once. He was investigating a gun trafficking ring here, but one of the goons caught him at gunpoint. Luckily, I had my sights on him at the time and took out the goon. The rest is history. "

My eyes widened at this.

"What?! My dad nearly died...?! How come he never told Ma about this?! Or... me?"

He waved his hand.

"I don't think he wanted to tell his wife that he was at death's doorstep. And this happened a long time ago, there's nothing to worry about. What happened in the past stays in the past."

I frowned but nodded at his words, knowing there was no point in arguing back.

What happened in the past stays in the past.

The same applies to what happened to Monika and me.

With that thought, I smiled at the family that accepted me with open arms.

"In any case, Yamato and Sakura. Thanks for taking me in. I'll be in your care." I genuinely thanked while bowing.

Yamato put his hand on my shoulder.

"You're family from now on. So I am gonna treat you like the son I never had."

Uh...

What does that mean?

Is he finally going to stop this act of calling me a brat and glaring at me whenever I am with Natsuki?

"And just so you know, I am going to very tough on you, brat. You're gonna be a man when I am done with you." He said with a frown.

Right on cue, that statement earned him a good smack on the back of his head.

"Yamato-san. Stop calling him a brat! And he doesn't have to pass any test to be with Natsuki. He's in love with our daughter and is a worthy man!" She glared at the henpecked husband.

Test?

What test?

"Uh... what test are you guys talking about?" I asked. "Just a little curious."

Yamato hissed in pain as he rubbed his nape.

"Well, in tradition, I married my beautiful, strong wife by fighting her father. So, in turn, I expect that you fight back. But unlike her father, I am going to train you so you can have an even match."

An even match...?

To be frank, I think I wouldn't be able to beat Yamato in a fight.

He is older sure, but he is a trained SAT sniper and still in his prime.

And all I know is some boxing.

Some training would be excellent.

And...

I looked at my girlfriend, who was looking at her family with a smile.

For some reason, I wanted to protect her and her smile.

If I am just a pushover when push comes to shove, then I don't deserve her.

Even though this tradition is a little dated, I still want to be seen as worthy in Yamato's eyes.

So I can protect Natsuki.

With a deep breath, I looked at Yamato in the eyes.

"You know what? I think I want to do this test of yours." I declared.

Sakura shook her head in disapproval.

"Val, I know you what you're thinking. You are no pushover. You proved time and time again, you're a capable man. But if you are going to go through with this, then I won't stop you."

Natsuki gripped my hand with a small frown.

"Yeah, you don't have to do this test, ya know. Even if my dad doesn't show it, he still likes you. And..."

She blushed a scarlet red.

"I don't think anyone would object to it."

By 'it,' she's talking about marriage.

...

I do plan on marrying Natsuki in the future, given how smoothly our relationship has been going.

But even then, I still want to feel like I earned the right to do that.

Just having it be given on a silver platter isn't enough for me.

"Even then, this doesn't feel right to me. I want to... do all that in my own terms. I want to feel like I accomplished something. If I earned that right by being with you for a long time, that's not enough for me. And I need to push myself to improve more and more."

Yamato grunted in approval.

"Heh! That's the spirit, kid. I felt the same way as you did when I was younger, but it took a lot of tries to get Sakura's hand. Also, I should warn you, there's no going back after this. Once you're in this test, there's no going back. But you got potential, I know you can do it."

I smirked and pumped my arms.

"Alright! I accept your test, Yamato! I want to be a man! And I am definitely not backing down from my word!" I exclaimed, hyped for the road ahead.

Sakura and Natsuki sighed at us.

"Boys will be boys... I'll support you. Goodluck, Val. You're gonna need it." She said with a smile.

Natsuki crossed her arms and looked away.

"Even though I don't exactly like this tradition, I..."

She looked with a small smile and hopeful eyes.

"I will support you, too! It's my job as your girlfriend!"

Because of her words, I couldn't help stop a grin from spreading across my face.

"Your training is will start tomorrow in the afternoon, Kid. I'll be pushing you to your limits!"

Kid?

That's my new nickname?

For some reason, I saluted Yamato, reminding me of the late Mr. Bisenberg.

"Are you two done? We have to ready dinner, especially since we have another mouth to feed." Sakura remarked, smirking at me. "Natsuki, show Val to his new room, will you?"

Just like that, the realization that I am apart of their affairs finally hit me.

My face burned at her words.

"Yeah... I am done. Let's go, Natsuki."

The girl took my hand and dragged me away from the counter.

* * *

Argh!

Stupid Val!

He has no idea what he's gotten himself into!

But there's no point of getting ticked off over this.

There was no way of convincing once he's made his mind.

The guy will look for ways to improve as much as he can.

He always so stubborn, and he will fight with everything he's got.

That's what I love about him.

"Gah! Slow down, Nat! I feel like my arm's gonna be torn off by how hard you're pulling me!" He groaned.

Even though he is confident and I am going support him with everything I got...

I'm still scared.

What if he can't meet my dad's expectations?

What if he can't beat my dad, no matter how hard he tries?

And I know how scary my dad can get to.

Those eyes told me that he isn't planning on giving him any leeway since I am his girlfriend.

...

No.

I have to stop thinking like this.

Val depends on me, and being doubtful about will make things worse.

Suddenly, I felt the weight on Dear's arm shift as he swung me towards him.

He caught me in his arms and leaned in for a kiss.

As always, I loved it if he was the one to start it.

"Mm..."

Once he was done, he pulled away.

"I had a feeling that you needed that, Cupcake."

Wow...

He's gotten really good at reading my head.

But I hope he knows that I will support him with everything I got.

"A little, yeah. Like I said before, even though this is all pointless, you can count on me! If I keep thinking that you might lose, then I wouldn't be my job as your girlfriend."

Dear's cheeks burned a little from my affirmation.

"Thanks, Nat. I really appreciate it. I am gonna do everything I can to make you my bride!"

And now it's my turn to burn up.

B-Bride...?

I like the sound of that.

We continued to walk to the new guest room where Dear is going to be living from now on.

Once we made it to the door, I put my hand on it.

"So um... before you go in. We tried to keep the layout of your room as close to the original as possible. You can probably tell that the guest room is smaller than your room, right?"

Dear nodded understanding.

"Hey, as long as everything's there. Then there is nothing to worry about."

Ah!

That reminds me, what is that so important he couldn't replace?

I hope he tells me that it isn't lost and what it is.

With that, I pushed the door for him to see.

...

I hope he likes his new room.

"Ta-da! How is it?!" I asked with faux confidence.

Please like it...

Please like it...

Please like it...

Dear's eyes looked at every nook and cranny of the room, amazed by how organized it was.

To make sure everything was in place, he checked his closet and drawers.

He kept a neutral expression the whole time he examined, so it was difficult to tell if he liked it.

My gut feeling told me that he isn't going to like it.

But my heart told me that he is going to like it no matter what.

Dear's eyes looked back at me once he reached a consensus.

"Well, everything's here. So it's all good." He replied.

...

Huh?

"That's good and all, but what about the aesthetics and stuff?"

He looked puzzled for a second but regained his composure.

"Oh, I don't mind. It's a bit different, sure. But it's the change of pace that got me hooked."

My eyes narrowed at his words, to which he raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong-?"

I shook my head.

"N-Nothing! It's just that I didn't expect you to say that..."

So, my gut feeling was wrong again?

I never thought my heart was right about this sort of thing.

Then again, using my gut in this relationship isn't the best option in the first place.

Dear walked down on his bed and sat down at it.

"Nat, I don't mind the aesthetics of the place, believe it or not. If everything's here, then don't have to worry about anything."

I let out a relieved sigh.

"That so...? Thank goodness."

Wait a minute. That means the thing that is so important is still here, right?

I should ask him about it!

"Hey, Dear. What happened to the thing you were keeping? You know the super important one?"

Dear was startled by the question at first.

"A-Ah! R-Right that! Don't worry, it's still there."

But before I ask what it is, he stopped me.

"Sorry, Cupcake. I'm keeping that thing a secret from you for the time being. I'll show it to you later."

Why is he so secretive about all this?

He should know that keeping secrets like this is wrong since he was the first to lecture me about that.

Wait...!

It's not-

"And no, it's not porn, alright? I don't have of those books in my room in the first place. Never really touched it in the first place."

Good.

I'm glad.

Especially when he said that my...

Well... he was satisfied with my body.

He noticed that my cheeks were being with color.

Because of that, my face started to exhibit the same color.

"Uh... Nat? What's wrong?"

I shook my head to stop him from investigating any further.

"It's nothing, don't worry! Let's just change the subject, alright?! Aren't you curious about how my family and I managed to pull this off?!"

I jumped into Dear's lap and snuggled against him, with my manga in hand.

"Whoa, hey! You startled me there! What's your deal, Nat?"

Since I was sitting against him, I moved around to disorient him further.

"Nothing! I just really love you!"

Those words were the trigger for him to be wary.

"Oh no...!"

I immediately turned to his neck and bit into it.

"Gah!" He gasped as I nibbled on him.

Ever since we became a couple, I started giving more and more hickies, much to his dismay.

He always complained about the lovebites, on how his friends and my friends tease him about marks.

But his complaints didn't slow my bites.

I always made that I made my mark with my fang.

"Mmh..." I hummed as I bit into him.

Dear was breathing unsteadily from me latching onto his neck, so I decided to lap my tongue on the bitemark.

"Hah... Hah..." He breathed, trying to get calm down.

I pulled away, leaving a dark red spot.

"Now that'll leave a mark! Hehehe!" I remarked, marveling at my handiwork.

As usual, he would try to rub it off, only for it come back as red as ever.

"Oh, man... Nat, you know how much your mom teases me on this! And not only that, your dad gets into a foul mood whenever he sees this!"

My small giggles turned into laughter from his misfortune.

"Hahaha! Come on, Dear! I love to give ya these bites! It's not my fault how fun it is!" I teased while reading manga on his lap.

He continued to rub it to no avail.

"Fun, huh? I remember the first hickey you gave me when we had our first time. That mark took weeks to get off! And it was right here!"

Dear pointed at the right side of his neck.

"Oh, ~! So you remember, huh? Let me give you another in that spot so you'll never forget!"

I turned my head and dove in again.

"Huh?! Wait!"

But it was too late.

I pounced on him and bit down in the same spot where we had our first time.

Having our first time was definitely not something to dismiss as 'nothing.'

It really opened my heart to how Val was feeling.

And how he felt about me...

* * *

The festival is today!

And I definitely can't wait to spend it with my boyfriend!

It's been a month since we have gotten together, and we go on a date.

Since they had to cancel the school's summer festival because of the gas leak and safety concerns, we had to wait a month for the city's summer festival.

Well, sure, it's bigger than the school festival, but I...

I really wanted to show off that I got Dear as my boyfriend.

To my surprise, Dear is actually pretty popular in his school, but he has no clue about his reputation.

...

Seriously, how dense do you have to be to not understand your own standing in your school?!

Ugh, that's probably a blessing since he wouldn't have to worry about how his every action will change how he will be seen...

Especially since he does the same old, same old anyway.

But worst of all, this is all a burden!

I mean seriously, the girls of Dokisai just loovvvve gossiping and fantasizing about him behind his backs!

And that pisses me off so much!

Hell, some of those girls wanted to make an appreciation club about him!

Grrr...

It's a good thing the student council shut that request immediately.

Otherwise, I would've lost it.

The strange thing is that no one has confessed to him just yet, despite being on our final years here.

I guess everyone just likes to admire him from afar.

Or someone is working the shadows to prevent anyone from confessing to him.

...

OK, well, I don't know why, but I should just be thankful for the case.

My phone buzzed, cutting my line of thought off.

Oooh!

It has to be Dear!

...

Nope, it's from Sayori in the group chat.

"Hey, are we going to the festival together?"

"Yuri is typing..."

"That's surprising. Aren't you going with Thomas? I'll be going with Haru and my mother."

I wonder what Monika is going to type.

"I'll be going with my parents on this one. What about you, Natsuki?"

The way Monika called me out was surprising, apparently aware that I was watching the chat.

But I welcomed how she teased me like this.

Monika didn't go to a lot of the summer classes when Dear told her the truth.

It hurt her a lot since she became a recluse for a week before coming up with an epiphany.

One day, she told me to meet up with her in the park so we could talk.

"Natsuki... I am going to support you and Val the best I can. We are best friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are. You're my best friend too, ya know?"

"Thanks. Also... I have to come clean."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Monika?"

"Well... no matter how hard I try... I can't get over Val. I still love him. And I think I will always love him. But, I will use my love for him to make him happy. If he's happy to be with you and you're happy to be with him, I will make sure that this relationship will succeed! You can count on me!"

It kind of bothers me that Monika still hasn't gotten over him. Again, she promised me that she will never do anything that will ruin our relationship.

"Also... please don't ever bring this up to Val. You should know how he is... He likes to overthink things like this, and he will be clueless on how to handle this. I made sure he wouldn't bring this up either. OK?"

Even though it is just words, she is stringing it all up by, I believe her.

Monika never backs down on oaths like this.

"..."

"I'm going with Val on this one. It's going to be our first festival together!"

Right now, I would put some emojis here and there, but I am waaaaay too nervous to any of that.

"Cinnamonfun is typing..."

"Sameeeee! I am about to do the same with Tommy!"

"Yuri is typing..."

"I hope it goes well for both of you."

Yuri didn't have any lingering feelings, as Monika does.

After all, she had a crush on him.

We all texted for a bit longer before we all got ready to go to the festival.

I put on a simple pink yukata, with some floral designs here and there.

When I went up the mirror, I frowned.

This is the best yukata I have that doesn't look childish or too tacky.

And it isn't even good enough.

I bet everyone's gonna have better-looking yukatas than me.

And not only that, better-looking bodies...

Sayori, Monika, and Yuri all have bigger chests than me.

Not only that, but their bodies are also all so much curvier than mine.

...

It's not fair!

Why do I get the short end of the stick with my body?!

Val did say he isn't into the chest as much as other guys.

But he is into my butt.

Thing is, I doubt my butt is even that showcase-able in this yukata.

As I continued to berate myself, I saw my door open.

My mom walked in with her pink yukata, which matched her hair and eyes.

But the thing is about mom was that she was drop-dead beautiful.

Her chest and body is average sure, but-

My mother sighed as if knowing what I was thinking.

"Natsuki... how many times do I have to tell you this?"

She walked up to me and hugged me tightly, staring at me through the mirror.

"You're a beautiful girl. And I am not exaggerating a single bit. The yukata really showcases your beauty."

I gave my mom a bittersweet smile.

"Yeah, but I am not curvy as you are..."

She giggled at my anxious thoughts.

"Hehehe! You know, I thought the same too. I was just like you, thinking about all sorts of things you are thinking right now. But since you really need it, I'll let you in on a little secret."

My mom moved up to my ear and whispered.

"We are late bloomers, believe it or not. When we have a man around us, he can help us speed things up. It happened to your grandmother too."

I blinked a couple of times before turning to my mom.

"Eh? How can Val help me grow?"

She let go of me and walked near the door.

"It's easy. Show yourself off a little in the... alluring direction. He'll know exactly what to do."

With that, she left the room.

An alluring direction?

Like...

Seduction?!

W-What?!

How am I going to seduce a guy like Dear?!

The guy's hormones are practically dead!

...

What the hell, me?!

Am I seriously thinking about that instead of the bigger problem at hand?!

Like seducing a guy?!

How does seducing him speed things up?

I touched my chest, trying to understand what that means.

By touching me...?

Is that how it works?

Mom did say we are late bloomers, so...

Argh!

I'll find another way to make myself attractive!

* * *

Steady breathes me.

Slow and steady me.

Slow and steady.

This is my first time taking a girl that I have a romantic interest in at any festival.

And that girl is Natsuki.

Damn it!

Whether she knows it or not, Natsuki gets a lot of talk throughout the school.

Seriously, I am glad that she isn't really aware of her reputation.

But at the same time, it would make a great motivation booster to her.

The girl has low self-esteem, and having to reassure is a bit of a pain.

But hey, I love her, and I will try my best to teach her to love herself a little more.

I guess it's in my nature to help others out like her.

In any case, Natsuki really is unaware of how beautiful she really is.

Her fair skin, vibrant smile, the cute fang of hers, and now-longer pink hair glide through the wind...

Argh!

I am daydreaming again!

But it's so hard not to resist thinking about her!

I was at Natsuki's bakery, waiting for the girl to come out of the entrance to her home.

The bakery was relatively quiet since there were no customers around.

Everyone's getting ready for the festival, and because of that, the bakery had a massive surge of customers yesterday.

I came to help out, but my goodness, I never thought there were so many customers to this place!

At the end of the day, Yamato forced me to cut the revenue generated because I came in short notice.

But when I told him I didn't want a reward since he was Natsuki's father, he got annoyed.

Not the usual annoyed but another form of it that I couldn't place a finger on.

"Punk."

Out of the curtains came my girlfriend, who was wearing a pink yukata with white floral accents around.

It was simple, and that is what I loved about it.

Simplicity and to the point, definitely her style.

I like it.

Natsuki's long hair was in a neat little knot, something that bothered me a little.

And for a while now, I couldn't stop myself from gazing at Cupcake's appearance.

"Well...?! Ain't ya gonna tell me how I look?! Yer leaving a girl in da dust here!" She spat, her dialect now coming loose.

I shook myself awake and straightened myself out.

"Y-Yeah! My bad! You look amazing, Nat! Everything about your yukata helps you stand out!" I complimented.

Natsuki smiled a little and looked relatively distracted.

"I-Is that so... huh."

She shook herself awake and looked at me.

"Looks like I am rubbing off on ya, aren't I? The fact you're wearing a dark blue yukata with no designs helps show off I am an influence!"

I rubbed the back of my head, sheepishly.

"Yeah, I guess you are. Sometimes less is more, right? Anyway, let's get moving. Come on!"

In a mirror to our first date after confessing our love for each other, I pulled Natsuki by her hand, and we went outside.

The girl almost staggered with my surprise pull and vigor for the date.

"Waaah! Hey! You kinda scared me a little back there! Are you that excited about the festival?"

I nodded enthusiastically.

"Hah! You bet I am. I mean, why wouldn't I? I am going to the festival with you, Natsuki. Of course, I am going to be excited!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah... with just me, huh?" I heard her mutter.

...

That's no good.

She's feeling insecure about all this.

But I am going to try my best to make her feel loved.

It's my job as her boyfriend to do that.

Don't worry, Nat.

I will do my best to love you.

We arrived at the festival without much delay, thanks to how close Natsuki's bakery was to the main street.

The festival was bustling, with everyone enjoying their time playing games, spending time, and having fun with their loved ones.

I squeezed Natsuki's hand and looked at her.

"Are you ready, Cupcake?"

She looked unsure at first, but when she saw me, her expression changed.

"Y-Yeah! Let's have fun, Dear!"

To start the festival off, we went straight to the games on each stand.

As we walked there, I had an idea.

"Hey, Nat. I was thinking of something."

She looked at me, curiously.

"Ooh? What are ya thinking?"

I stroked my chin as I thought.

"Well, maybe we can do a penalty game of some sort. You know, make things a little interesting."

At first, Natsuki's eyes dimmed at the challenge, but once I squeezed her hand, her eyes sparkled like stars.

"Heh! You're on, American! I'm pretty good when it comes to games!"

I playfully rolled my eyes from her claim.

"Yeah, uh-huh. You forget that I lived here ever since I was 7. I have had more than a decade to get good at these festival games!"

She smirked at me.

"Pff, whatever you say, American. You're no match for a native-born winner like me! Loser has to buy bean pastries and all the other snacks!"

What, wha-

"Hey! I thought I was going to decide on what the penalty was!"

She blew me a raspberry.

"Keep up with me first! Can't you see that if you snooze you lose? You should have put the penalty up as soon as I wanted to play! Seriously, guys are so slow." The pinkette taunted.

Argh...

I can't say that I am not enjoying this; I am loving how competitive things have gotten.

But also that last part kind of hurt my male ego.

"We'll see about that." I simply said.

And with each game, I made sure to make Natsuki have the advantage, despite the competitive air between us.

One such game was the famed goldfish-scooping contest.

Cupcake gasped at the stand and pulled my arm while pointing at it.

"Oh, oh, oh! Can we do the goldfish first? Can we can we?!" She asked excitedly.

I smiled at her enthusiastic vibe.

"Sure, I got the feeling you know what to do," I remarked while making our way there.

Once we were there, she giggled freely.

"Hey, I love this game! I used to catch a bunch of these when I was younger! It's super easy once you know the trick to it! What you gotta do is-"

While the goldfish scooping connoisseur told me the strategies, the stand owner looked nervously at her. Still, I shot him with a reassuring look.

"Uh, are you going to keep the goldfish with you once you're done?"

She shook her head.

"Nope. I don't want to ruin the fun for others if I get a lot of fish in a scoop. I saw it happen before, ya know?"

All I could do was nod slowly.

I got into position with her and held my scoop tightly in my hands.

Cupcake glimpsed at me and how I held my tool, only for her to scoff.

Kh...!

I'll show you!

"Go!" The owner boomed.

From there, we started scooping up all the goldfish from the small tank.

I couldn't help marvel at how quickly Natsuki was scooping up the goldfish.

Her pink eyes darted between her tool, the fish, and the water.

Wow...

Her focus is razor-sharp, isn't it?

The owner coughed a little to get my attention.

"Are you sure she isn't going to take all my fish?"

I shot him another reassuring look.

"Yes, don't worry. I'll make sure of it."

After that was over with, I started to scoop some fish...

Only for it to break my plastic tool.

Ah, crap.

Natsuki instantly saw and laughed at me.

"Hahahaha! I thought you said you had a decade to work on your skills, Baka!"

I frowned at her insult.

"Y-Yeah, I did! I'm just a little rusty!"

As my eyes wandered to her batch and I was taken aback by it.

Wait, what the hell?!

The goldfish were cramped in the plastic bag they were kept in, unable to properly swim around from the sheer density of their brethren.

"Told ya I was good." She proudly remarked as she dumped all the goldfish back into the tank.

The stand-owner sighed in relief and went back to his post.

I clicked my tongue at my terrible luck and crossed my arms.

"Whatever, goldfish scooping is dumb anyway." I childishly muttered.

Natsuki giggled again and ran up to grab my hand.

As always, her joyful laughter is what gets my heart racing.

I can't help but feel happy whenever she laughs for whatever reason.

"Yeah, yeah. I knew an American like you would say something like that. Come on, American, can you at least show me how you can do with a bit of shooting?"

When I realized there were shooting galleries at the festival, I immediately woke up.

I'm good at this, especially since I have some experience with shooting firearms.

Grandpa was kind enough to let me shoot some of his antique lever-action rifles and revolvers back home.

This should be a cinch!

"Hehehe..." I chuckled to myself.

Natsuki turned to me with a confused look.

"Eh? Why are you laughing?"

I looked at her with a haughty look and smirk.

"I'm good at this." I simply said.

She rolled her eyes.

"Is that so? So that must mean that you're bad at this too. Since you were so 'good' at goldfish scooping."

Yep, she is in for a surprise.

She has no idea.

Unless she has some experience.

"OK, then. Are you good at the shooting gallery?"

Cupcake smirked back at me.

"You think? Do you think I am the daughter of an SAT sniper just for a show? I have some experience with firearms!"

Oh?

Is that so?

Well, I can use a challenge!

This could be a legendary battle, indeed.

We stepped right up to the shooting gallery and called over the host.

"Mister! We are here for a turn!"

He handed us both a lever-action rifle and BBs to load in.

The first thing I did was get a feel for the weapon's ergonomics and weight in my hands.

Hmm, this rifle is modified to fire BBs, but it still has some of its original weight if I am right.

I looked over to Natsuki to see how she was doing.

To my pleasant surprise, she was doing the same thing I was doing.

Good...

She knows what's up.

We both loaded our BBs and got ready to fire at the targets.

"Heh, good luck American. You're gonna need it!" Cupcake taunted.

I only smirked at her and got back to making any last adjustments to my stance.

As soon as the targets popped up, I fired my weapon.

*CLANG*

The BB obviously had no recoil I had to account for, so I cycled the next BB and snapped the next target.

*CLANG*

I flicked the lever down and up again, moving onto the next target.

*CLANG*

With that, the round was done.

I turned to my right and saw Nat fired her last BB.

The BB narrowly missed the target, hitting the back of the booth instead.

"Argh! This rifle sucks!" She whined as she put the rifle down.

I walked up to her and put my arm around her.

"Don't feel bad, you can do better next time." I snidely taunted.

She bit my sleeve out of spite.

The host waited for me so I can choose my prize.

I pointed at the cat plushie, which fit the girl biting my arm.

"Here you are. Can you stop biting me now?" I asked while offering the plushie.

"Hah?"

In an instant, she let out a cute sound at the plushie and grabbed it from me, crushing it with her arms.

"It's so cute! It's soooo cuteeee!" She squealed.

She hummed in delight as she hugged the cat plushie.

"Hmm~! Hmm~! Hmm~!"

Natsuki's blissful smile made my day.

I want to see her smile like that every day.

Once she stopped hugging me, the girl pulled a fast one and pecked me on the lips.

Uh?!

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love this cat plush, soooo muccch!"

I patted her hot pink hair as she went back to crushing the poor thing.

Natsuki is like a cat.

That's what makes so cute and exciting in my eyes.

"Anything for my girlfriend. Come on, let's play more games. We got a lot of time to burn."

With that, we went around playing most of the festival games here.

Because of my original objective, I decided to go easy on her instead of seriously taking some of the games to boost her confidence.

As a result, I had to buy her bean-pastries and other snacks she wanted while we were here.

"Mmm! This pastry hits the spot! Don't you think?" She gleefully asked.

I nodded at her words.

"Yep, festival pastries like these are amazing. Too bad they are available only once a year. I wouldn't mind if they sold at a convenience store somewhere."

The pinkette not soon after pointed at another stand selling food.

"Dear! Dear! I want to get some Taiyaki! The custard one sounds delicious!" She cheered.

And like so I bought her the food.

Not missing a beat, she bit down on the head of the pastry and moaned in ecstasy.

"Soooo goood~!"

Watching Natsuki like this made me glad to be alive.

"Nat, you're drooling a little."

I went up to her and wiped the drool off her lips.

"Jeez, you really like to eat these pastries, don't you?"

She responded with an affirmative grunt before biting down on it again.

I took a bite out of my own, which was filled with sweet potato.

Mmm. Now that's some good stuff!

Cupcake looked at me expectantly.

Let me guess...

"You want a bite?" I asked.

She nodded her enthusiastically.

"Aahh..."

I felt my face burn up a little with how forward she was being.

She bit down on my pastry and munched away.

"Hamh... Hamh... Mmm~! This is so good too!"

I can only stare at her with deadpan eyes.

Uh...

Isn't this one of those indirect kisses that manga troupes love to deal with?

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree once that was done.

Yep, there it is.

"W-We just had a-an..."

"An indirect kiss?"

She nodded meekly.

"Yeah... I never thought it would be this embarrassing, especially since we kissed before."

I patted her head from how cute she was, despite my own red face.

"Heh. Strange ain't it? Come on, let's buy some more food."

* * *

We finished up on eating snacks and were now walking around to burn the calories we accumulated.

Dear was holding onto my hand tightly.

That always makes me feel safe.

Like no one's ever going to tear him away from me again.

Fate tore us apart once, but we got back stronger than ever!

...

I hope.

As we walked a rather deserted part of the festival, there was a group of girls to our left, walking at the same pace.

What's their deal?

"Let's take a break, Nat. We have been walking for a while, and there's still two hours until the fireworks go live."

I only gave him a nod as we walked, feeling a strange sense of dread come over me.

What's with my gut feeling all of a sudden?

Why is it going haywire?!

There were some benches nearby, so we sat down and rested our aching feet.

And for some reason, the girls walking with us slowed near our vicinity, chit-chatting about something.

This time, Dear knew something was up.

I moved up to his ear.

"They are watching us... Any idea why?"

He only shook his head.

Once our eyes met theirs, they smiled nervously.

A blue-haired girl smiled at us.

"Uhm... hello!" She nervously greeted.

We greeted back.

Now, Dear decided to hatch a plan for this peculiar encounter.

"Let's go to another bench around the corner and see if they follow us. This just has to be a weird coincidence." He reassured.

With that, we stood up and started to walk.

And immediately after that, the group started to follow us.

I squeezed his hand, and he pressed back.

This is getting a little scary...

Once we rounded the corner, we walked towards another set of benches and sat down on them.

Again, the girls were talking to each other without a care about the world.

This can't be a coincidence.

I have a feeling they are only talking put up a smokescreen, and follow us.

But why?

My patience was wearing thin, so I decided to do something about it.

"Dear, I am gonna deal with this. It's obvious they are following us."

But before he can retort, I slipped from his grasp and walked towards the girls.

They saw me and gave me the same nervous smiles as before.

Argh.

They are so fake!

"Hey, can you guys stop following us?" I asked with a bit of irritation in my voice.

In an instant, they knew the jig was up and glared at me.

The collective glare of a couple of girls was terrifying, but I stood my ground.

"I don't know, why don't you stop orbiting your so-called boyfriend?" The blue-haired girl spat with venom.

W-What...?

Dear walked up to me once he saw the commotion.

"Hey, hey, what's going on here?" He asked, obviously a little ticked off.

A green-haired girl stepped out of the group.

"Nothing's wrong, Val. It's just this middle schooler is probably trying to catch you a case. You aren't her girlfriend or anything, are you?"

M-M-Middle schooler...?

Do I really look like a middle schooler?

"I am," Dear said with a glare, realizing the girls' malicious intent. "Why are you two following us? I am trying to have a date with my girlfriend! How do you guys know my name anyway?!"

Even though Dear was defending me, I couldn't focus at all.

I'm helping him catch a case...?

But I am not a kid!

Now an orange-haired girl stepped out the group.

"We got to your school, Val. You are actually more popular than you think you are." She explained while giving me the stink eye.

He was dumbfounded by her words.

"W-What? Me... popular? I am not popular. I think I am a pretty generic student. But that doesn't explain your behavior towards Natsuki!"

The blue-haired girl rolled her eyes.

"You really underestimate how popular you are. You are very above-average looking believe it or not. And we are used to admiring you from afar. But when we realized that this short stack has gotten you as her boyfriend. I mean, you obviously didn't fall for her, right? Something must be up. And we want to help!"

Short stack...?

...

So I really am unattractive.

...

That angered Dear much.

"You idiots!" He yelled, causing the three girls to jump. "She is the same age as I am and is in the same year as me! Her name's Natsuki, and she is my girlfriend! I... I love her, and there wasn't anything incriminating involved in this relationship!"

He loves me...

The way he got angry and proclaiming his love for me...

It's so hot.

The group of girls was all shaken by his angered state.

"O-Oh yeah...? Then why did you go for a girl so... flat and short? I mean, have you seen her smile?" The orange-haired girl pathetically retorted.

M-My smile?

...

When I was younger, kids used to tell me that my smile was weird.

And that's when I stopped smiling like I used to.

It was only in Ainu, where I started smiling more.

And it was because of Dear is why I smiled whenever I was happy.

He glared at them with disgust.

"I don't care about how flat-chested a girl is! She's beautiful in my eyes! All that matters is her personality and heart! Tch! I wasting my breath! You are all shallow! Come on, Natsuki. We are leaving!"

Dear forcibly grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the scene.

As we walked away from the area, I felt conflicted about myself.

But when Dear defended me, I felt my body be flooded with warmth.

Once we were a safe distance away, he pulled me to an alley.

"Natsuki..." He muttered while looking at the distance. "Don't you let those girls' words get to you. You are not unattractive at all. I will always tell you are plenty attractive, especially now with your pink yukata. It's one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you."

...

He finds me attractive...?

...

Of course, he does.

Why would I ever doubt him and his words?

Dear looked me in the eye.

"I love you, don't ever forget that."

I felt my eyes burn when he told me those fated words.

Tears started free-falling down my cheek as I tried to keep them in.

"Val...!"

I buried my face into his chest.

* * *

Natsuki sobbed into my chest, letting all emotions she was holding in finally let go.

And because of that, I hugged her tightly.

I let her cry out herself before she finally calmed down.

When she looked up to me, I looked down at her with warm eyes.

"Val... can you tell me how beautiful I am? Can you... prove it to me?"

...

Prove it to her?

That means...

"Natsuki, what do you mean?" I asked softly, hoping she would elaborate.

She smiled and looked straight at me with her pink upturned eyes.

"I want you to love me. I want to feel your love."

I had a feeling that is what she wanted.

Despite wanting this for a while, I looked away hesitantly.

She tugged at my yukata and frowned.

"Please...?" Natsuki weakly begged.

I sighed.

"Alright. Let's find a good place for all this. You're kinda making me nervous, Nat." I remarked with a nervous smile.

She smiled back and crushed me in a hug.

From there, we entered the nearby red-light district and went into one of the hotels there.

In the red-light districts, one of the hotel's purpose is to help us with our objective.

The building was a bit sleazy, possibly fitting very well into its overall purpose, but we pressed on.

I paid for the room, and we got our keys.

As we went up the elevator, I squeezed Natsuki's hand tight.

She squeezed back just as tight.

We were both obviously nervous about what was going to happen next as we opened the door.

There lay a luxurious king-sized bed, a T.V, some cabinets with some household items out, and a bathroom.

"Natsuki, do you want to take a shower bef-"

I felt her hug me behind me.

"No... I don't want you to go anywhere. I'm so nervous that if you leave me for even a second, I might... cry again." She whispered.

I gulped and obliged her.

"O-Okay, if you say so. S-Shall we get started then? OH! I almost forgot, do we need condoms or..."

I felt her hug me even tighter.

"You... You are so caring that I might really lose it. No, I am on a pill." She meekly said. "So take me now... I don't think I can wait any longer."

Ever since I dragged out that scene, she has been reticent.

She is a susceptible state mind, and I have to be very careful with how I approach this.

I hope I can fix that.

"OK. Let's go."

I pulled her arms off me and carried her bridal style.

Her body went limp as soon as I did that, but she showed no signs of disliking.

As I put her down on the bed, she went up to her hair and loosened it, now letting her long pink hair-free.

Yep...

I definitely have a thing for long hair.

Her hair was scented with strawberries and sugar, something I couldn't get enough of.

I removed her sash and loosened her yukata.

And for the first time, I saw Natsuki's partially naked body.

My eyes scanned every nook of the girl I loved.

"Kiss me... I'm getting too nervous." She asked while tugging against my sleeve.

I obliged her.

"Mmh... nh..."

I pulled away, only for her tug at me again.

"Again... Please..."

I kissed her again.

"Nh... Mmm... chu."

I pulled away again, and she gave me the go-ahead.

From there, I loosened her yukata and took it off her.

She covered herself up.

"Val, take off yours."

I nodded and took mine off.

Take the initiative me.

And so, I pulled her hands off her covered parts.

Now, I got a clear view of how beautiful she looked.

Her fair skin, small but reasonable chest, and supple bottom...

Wow...

This is the first time I have seen her naked, and my heart won't stop pounding against my chest!

And it made me aroused.

Her pink eyes scanned every nook and cranny of my body before she finally ventured down.

"W-Wow... t-t-that's going inside of me...?" She asked.

I nodded nervously as she gawked at my member.

...

The way she said means it's... big.

But I know I am pretty average.

Either way, that really boosts my self-confidence up!

To relieve some tension, I returned the favor by looking down on her.

There I saw her womanhood.

But I knew something was off.

"Natsuki, you're too nervous. If I put myself inside, it's going to be too painful."

She frowned and looked away.

"B-But, what can I do? Of course, I am gonna be nervous... The man of my dreams is finally taking my first time away. What's there not to be nervous about?"

Hmm, yeah...

She is way too nervous.

To the point that she is a bit too formal.

I need to loosen her up a little.

And so I went for lips for a kiss.

"Mmh~! Nh... Fhhh..."

To stimulate her is to heat up this kiss.

I hope I am right about this.

"Natsuki, open your mouth a little. OK?" I asked gently.

She nodded and let me retake her lips.

From there, I let my tongue inside her mouth, and we intensified our kissing.

"Mmhhh! Nggh!"

As our tongues battled, I let my fingers travel down her body to help her loosen up.

This is going to be my first time touching her...

I sure hope I don't mess up somehow...!

Slowly but surely, I entered one of my fingers in.

And in an instant, she tightened around them.

Yep, I think she needs to relax.

"Auuh! W-Wait, you didn't tell that you would put your fingers in!"

I gave her a small smile.

"Nat, I told you. You're too nervous. To loosen you up, I have to turn you on. This is one of the ways to do all that, don't you think?"

The Pinkette looked away nervously.

"Y-Yeah... I guess. Please be gentle, OK?"

All I can give was a nod.

I slowly thrust my fingers in and out of her.

"Aggh...! Aaah... Haaah...!"

Natsuki's sweet moans kept hounding at my stable state of mind.

But I made sure to suppress the more lustful thoughts for the sake of my girlfriend.

To better stimulate her, I hovered my hands on her chest.

"Nat, can I touch you here?" I asked.

I have a feeling I would take whatever I can when I am entirely in the mood.

But again, her state of mind is very finicky now.

She looked me in the eyes and nodded at me.

"I-If, want to touch my small chest, then go ahead..."

I'll show you.

I'll show you that your chest isn't something to be embarrassed about.

With her permission, I gave her chest a soft caress.

In an instant, I felt her back arch slightly with her insides tightening once again.

"Aaack!"

I smirked at her.

"Heh. I didn't realize how sensitive you are, Cupcake. I'll keep that mind."

She frowned at me.

"S-Since, when were you such a bully...?"

I answered with a kiss.

This time her tongue entered my mouth.

From there, I gently my hand back on her chest as we fought with our tongues.

Thankfully, she didn't react as intensely, now that I already touched her once.

So this time I decided to switch things up a little.

Now I decided to rub her chest with the palm of my hand.

With that, she overreacted again.

"Nnnnnhhh! Mmh... Mmm..." She moaned into my mouth.

That sort of touch made her react differently.

She really is sensitive with her chest, huh?

The way she moans through her mouth is really getting to me.

I don't know how long I can keep this up...

"Nat, this might tingle a little."

I massaged the entirety of her breast and pressed hard against her pink nipple with my thumb.

"Nnnnrghhh! Mmmmfh!"

The pinkette tensed up with her insides contracting again.

She pulled away, her chest heaving heavily.

"T-That spot... it sent shocks through m-my spine..."

I grinned at her reaction.

"Did you like it?"

She puffed her cheeks out.

"You're such a bully! Y-Yeah! I did... Do it again..."

With a nod, I thrust my fingers in and out once more, while massaging her chest.

The more and more I moved my fingers, the more she was getting stimulated.

In fact, my fingers were starting to soak with her juices.

"Ah... Ah... I-I really like this, Val. My body feels really good." She commented.

With her comment, I ground my thumb against her sensitive spot again.

"G-Ggaaah!"

Her back arched again.

With that reaction, I started upping the tempo of my fingers.

I made sure to knead her clitoris with the thickness of my finger.

"Nh... Fh~! Aah!"

Her movements reacted with my touch, and I continued to thrust into her.

"Hah... hah... V-Val... S-Something is...!

She must be climaxing soon.

And so, I pinched her clitoris and her nipple.

Her eyes widened as she gripped the bedsheets for dear life.

"Uuuwaaa! Uuuh! Aaaagh!"

There came her climax, finally drenching my hand completely.

Natsuki continued to tremble and quiver as her orgasm rocked her body.

Her body calmed as her eyebrows came together to form a cute frown as she went limp.

"Hah, hah... Y-You're such a bully...! I-I hate you..."

I tried my hardest to not laugh from how cute she was.

"It's one of my ways to show how much I love and care for you, Cupcake. From the way it looks... you like being bullied. Is this the start of something new?"

She whined at my intuition.

"Shaddap! Shaddap! I'll show you! Watch! Give me your love!"

I raised an amused eyebrow but smiled.

"Alright, we'll see. You might want to hold on."

Natsuki nodded as I held my neck.

Goodness!

Her grip is incredible!

She might pull me down with her if I am careful.

I positioned myself between Natsuki's legs.

"OK, I am about to enter."

The pinkette's breath on my neck was unusually hot.

It was killing me.

I placed my tip against her wet lower lips.

"Wow... you're pretty big." She whispered.

...

What?!

I nervously chuckled.

Well, maybe it's because you're so small.

The perspective of things can change how things may seem.

"Should I stop?"

The grip on my neck tightened.

"No! Don't ya dare wuss out on this!" She barked.

I winced at her, yelling.

"Sheesh! Alright, alright! I'm going right now..."

Because of that, Natsuki smiled at me.

That meant it was reassuring to see her smile, and because of that, she was more precious than ever before.

With a thrust, I pushed through her narrow walls.

"Hck... Ghhh...!"

It pained me to see Natsuki in pain.

She was still a little nervous, sure, but it wasn't as bad as before.

I can at least manage to fit my tip inside her at this rate.

As I continued pushing through, Natsuki bit down onto my neck.

My eyes widened for a moment before realizing that it was a way to cope with the pain.

Natsuki spread her legs wider so I can allow more myself inside of her.

"You're doing great, Cupcake. I am almost there. OK?"

She responded by licking my neck with her biting.

With a little more pushing, I finally managed to put the tip inside.

Her insides were squeezing painfully tight around my head.

"Gah! Arggh..." I groaned as she contracted around me.

Natsuki pulled away once I was in, and she was back to her timid self.

"Auuuh... Val... Please keep going. I want to become one with you. Don't stop, no matter what you want!"

I gave her a nod as she took deep breathes to relax.

Her spirit is there, even when she is a tight spot.

That's what I love about her.

Once she was done, I pushed forward with my hips, hoping that I can get in all the way inside her.

Cupcake again attacked the same spot with her fang as I pushed inwards.

With a little more resistance, I finally managed to enter her completely.

Once it was all clear, she pulled away and took a couple of deep breathes.

"Are you OK, Natsuki?"

She nodded slowly.

"Y-Y-Yeah... I can feel my insides hurting, but I can bear with it. Don't worry...!"

There was a rivulet of blood mixing with her juices from before.

Since she is secreting more fluid, maybe her body gotten used to this now that she's taken me in my entirety.

I moved in again, surprised how smoothly I was able to move inside her to an extent, despite how tight she was wrapping me.

"Alright, then. I will move a little more."

I pulled in and out in a slow, lethargic rhythm, trying to limit some of the pain.

Her face wasn't contorting into pain whenever I thrust, which was kind of course.

She's ridiculously tight, and that isn't helping me.

My stamina is going to be severely diminished if this keeps up.

Natsuki gave small moans of ecstasy as I thrust in and out of her.

"Nnh... Aaah... Haaah...!"

I can tell she is feeling something else other than pain.

"Does it still hurt a lot, Nat?"

She shook her head.

"It's starting to feel a little better. It feels dull."

Hmm...

Maybe I can play with her clitoris?

I aimed there and started harassing it.

Without missing a beat, her back arched slightly.

"Aaah! T-That felt good!"

Alright, I think this will do the trick.

I slowly toyed with her clitoris and placed my hand on her chest once more.

Like before, I massaged her chest, but this time with both hands.

"W-Wait... you're using t-two hands?! Nnh! Auuh!"

I laughed at the Cupcake.

"Of course. I think this is a good way to bully you."

My tip grazed her clitoris, with my hands eating her nipples.

She bit her lips to stifle a moan, trying to get me back from bullying her.

That didn't last long as I leaned in to kiss her.

Natsuki immediately accepted the kiss and started to let out her moans.

"Aah...! Nh...! Mmfh!"

Maybe I can kick things up a notch.

I deviated away from her clitoris and started moving in more and more.

Just as I thought, her walls were tightening around me, but I pressed on.

Her sweet moans were starting to become more and more lustful.

"Aah~! Haah! Uuuah!"

I allowed more of myself into in, moving my hips in conjunction.

The grip on my neck tightened exponentially.

I made sure to graze her nipples for that, causing her to widen her eyes and pull away.

"Aaaah! I-I-I f-felt my spine tingle again!" She shuddered.

Natsuki is finally starting to get into like I am.

She's starting to feel good.

"Kh... the fact you're still so tight..." I mumbled as I put more and more pressure into her.

My tip was hitting the roof of something, which caused Natsuki to lock her legs onto my hips.

"Fh...! Uhhh! Aaah! Y-Y-You're hitting... Eyaaah!"

Wait, this is her...!

I started moving my hips faster all at once, focusing on rewarding her for her hard work.

Her breathing became more and more unsteady.

"Val! Val! My b-body's on fire! Aaaagh!"

I grit my teeth from how much pressure her walls were exerting onto me.

"Hrk! You're c-clamping onto me so much!"

She dug her nails onto my back.

"Y-Yeah! I don't want you, aah! I don't want you to go anywhere! I want you here with me!"

Those words made me go ballistic.

All of the self-control I had was almost crushed by cutely she said those words.

I moved my hips more vigorously, intent on punishing her for losing control.

Her eyes closed up from how intense I was.

"W-Whaaa! Y-You're so intense, Dear! Aggh!"

When she called me with my childhood pet name, I leaned in and bit one of her nipples.

Natsuki rolled her eyes upwards with my move.

Her legs spread out entirely from my bite.

"AAAAGH! Aaaah! Haaah!

I made sure her other nipple had similar treatment as I ground my thumb against it.

The pain must be mostly gone at this point, right?

So I can go a little bit more...

"Arrrgh!" I growled.

I pulled my hips up, making sure she was still latched on.

From there, I thrust deep into her, the new position switching things up a little.

Her sensitive body reflected my pressure against her.

"Nhhh! HAAAH! AAAH! GAAAH!"

The moans she was letting out were loud, reverberating the hotel walls around us.

My goal was to make her feel loved.

And I will do whatever it takes.

I pulled away from her nipple.

"Haah... Nat... Do you like this?"

When we made eye contact, I knew that was an affirmative.

Her eyes were completely taken over by lust, now that she finally turned on.

The thrust my hips provided caused the bed and her body to rock.

I felt her walls starting to clamp on and off me, which meant she was about to let loose.

"VAL! I-I c-c-can't hold on...! AAGH!"

I knew what she was going to say.

Her tight walls were pushing me to the brink of stamina.

"Y-Yeah! Krgh! Arrgh... we'll do it together!" I proclaimed.

I leaned kissed my girlfriend as I continued to my assault against her.

The room she gave me with her leg-lock forced me to continually hit her.

It was there that I grazed her g-spot more and more.

The digging on my back grew worse, and I continued my efforts there.

She pulled away and arched her back, holding for her to meet my front.

"AAAGH! HAAAH! AAAAH!"

I held her tight, and I kept attacking her there.

"I... I p-promised to make you feel loved! I-I love you, Natsuki!"

She let out a hasty sigh and looked me in the eyes.

"I-I love you, too! Please! Let's do it, t-together! AAACK!"

My member started to twitch uncontrollably from the clamping of her walls.

I am at my limit!

Cupcake's moans were replaced by heavy and ragged breathing, tirelessly trying to regain her breath from the intense pressure.

"Haaaah... haaah! Haah..."

Finally, I felt her release the floodgates, prompting me to give everything I got into her.

"Gaaah!"

Natsuki's body heaved upward as her eyes rolled upward once more.

Her tongue was out to desperately to lap any air she can.

Wow...

Her face is so hot.

Once her climax has finally ended, she felt aftershocks, with her body twitching here and there.

I rested my body against her, careful not to crush her under my weight.

My lower body was tired of how much they moved.

That...

That felt amazing.

I pulled out of her, with my seed slowly spilling out.

This is was my first time with her too...

Wow!

I never thought we would have our first time like this!

"Dear..." I heard Natsuki call.

She was smiling at me, blissfully.

"I loved that so much...! You touched me a lot too!"

I raised an eyebrow from her last sentence.

"Touch you a lot? Yes, I did. But what does that mean...?"

She couldn't suppress a giggle from leaking out of her lips.

"Hehe... So that's what she meant." Cupcake said to no one in particular.

All of a sudden, she hugged me.

"I loveeee you, Dear! I loveeee you so much!"

I felt a little embarrassed by her confession.

"Y-Yeah, I love you to Cupcake. That will never change."

We laid on the bed for a while before we cleaned up.

Both of us put on our yukatas again and left the hotel.

Natsuki was in a much better mood compared to how she was before.

As we walked outside, letting the night breeze cool our still heated body, we held hands.

"Hey, Cupcake. I got a question for you."

She looked to me with a vibrant smile, her little fang poking out from the corner of her lips.

"Yeah? What's up, Dear?"

Her words right after we did the deed were kind of weird and are starting to bother me...

"Well... what were you talking about when I touched you a lot? Is there something involved with touching you or something?"

She giggled from my words.

"Hehehe! Yeah, there is. And what you did was something that really gets my confidence up. But I won't tell how it will help! It's a secret~!"

Huh?

A secret?

"A secret? Natsuki, we went over this." I explained.

She gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry, Val! It's more of a surprise than a secret. But to show you the surprise, then I am gonna need you to touch me more. OK?"

It was my turn to smile at her.

"Heh, if you say so. I am glad we are doing that again. Though I don't understand what you're getting at, I will do myself to help!" I exclaimed.

She giggled at my firm promise.

"It will all be worth it, I swear!"

So, it will all be worth it, huh?

Guess I will wait and hope for the best.

We continued to walk and returned to the festival in time for the fireworks.

The sparks in the skies grew bright as more fireworks exploded in the night sky.

So it begins...

"Ooooh! Look, Val! Look! The fireworks are so beautiful!"

I let my face loosen from how adorable she was.

She's so cute.

It almost makes me want to watch her only during the fireworks explode in the air.

...

My eyes focused on the girl's smiling face.

The swelling warm feeling in my heart coated me.

It was there that I knew that I would do anything for her.

What a turn of events...

I thought this would be a "normal" festival date, but I didn't expect it to be...

That intense.

She turned around to see me staring at her.

The pinkette gave me a vibrant smile and leaned in.

I leaned in as well and kissed under the fireworks.

We had to keep it civil, especially since we were out on in public, so we pulled away just as fast.

"This Tanabata festival is something to remember, huh?" I remarked.

Natsuki rested her head against my chest and closed her eyes.

"Yeah... it is. I will never ever forget what happens here. You made me love myself for real this time. And I will never lose hope in my body again."

I laughed wholeheartedly from her comment.

"You better not! I love everything, your body, Natsuki. And... I will never forget what happened back there."

She sighed happily.

"Me neither. You better not leave me, Val. You took my first time, and now you have to be with me forever. I am in your care."

I hugged her tightly.

"Hahaha! I wouldn't have it any other way!"

We hugged each other close as we watched the fireworks brighten the night sky.

The fireworks never stopped to amaze me, which is something I didn't understand.

And I think they look even more spectacular now that I am here with Natsuki.

...

Never would I think that my perspective on things would change with having a cute, but strong and proud girlfriend like her.

Because of that, I am grateful.

She fell in love with me, despite how... slow I can be when it comes to certain subjects.

Sure, she gets impatient here and there, but she still managed to wait for me to catch up.

And it was all worth it in the end.

"Natsuki..." I called absentmindedly.

"Hm? What is it, Gill?"

I grinned as I watched the lights crackle in the heavens above.

"I love you."

Even though my eyes were on the fireworks, I can tell she took a second to process my words.

And I could tell that she was taken aback from my words.

But unlike before, she recovered quickly and rested her head on my chest.

"I love you, too."

I thought I had her all figured out, but to my surprise, she bit into my neck again.

"Ah!" I gasped as she sank her teeth into my neck.

"Mmm... chu...!" She pulled away, giggling from her mischief.

I rubbed the mark she bit, feeling a stinging yet cooling sensation coating my neck.

"Jeez! So this is a new thing, huh?" I asked, hoping the strangely pleasant sting wouldn't stop.

Natsuki responded by leaning onto my collarbone and biting again.

"Gwah!" I hissed as she bit me again.

I felt her lips tickle, her teeth bite, and her tongue lapping my collarbone.

The girl pulled away with a vibrant smile.

It was the same smile that made her fang poke out.

The same smile that made me fall in love with her.

"Ahaha...! Yep! Now that you took me, I think it's fair that others know yer taken, alright?"

Her possessive vibe intrigued me.

"Hmph. I would scold you about this, but you're too cute..." I muttered. "I really can't get angry at you when you're like this, can I?"

Instead of her face burning up and giving me the usual adorable reaction, she grinned.

"It's like you said, Dear. I am too cute!"

* * *

As my girlfriend rested her head on my chest after giving another hickey of a lifetime, she hummed in delight.

"That was fun." She commented while snuggling against me.

No matter how much of a mark they leave, I won't deny that I love them.

It's the after-effects that get to me.

Well, it isn't as bad as before, well I would turtle-neck in front of anyone I would speak to.

But now, I guess everyone's sort of used to it...?

Doesn't matter. These hickies are what Natsuki and I love anyway.

Maybe I should give her one soon.

"Argh... yeah, I guess it was."

She hugged me tightly in response.

After a bit of lying down, she finally rose from her resting place and got off me to pick up her manga.

"So anyway, back to my question from before. Are you curious about how we moved planned this out?" The pinkette asked with a cute smile.

I tapped my chin in thought.

"Yeah, I guess I am. It must have taken a lot of planning and prep time? How did you manage to pull everything from my room to this room here?"

Cupcake playfully rolled her eyes.

"I didn't do any of the work of getting your furniture into the truck, obviously. The loaders did that part for us. Think for a bit, Baka. Who would help me the most in planning this out?"

In an instant, I knew the answer.

"No wonder she looked so suspicious. Saying she was going to miss me and what not..." I muttered to myself, "So, you and Monika planned this out, right?"

She puffed her chest out and put her hands on her hips.

"Yup! Not only that, but we went over the plans with your parents as well. Along with my parents, of course."

...

This must have taken a while to plan, no doubt.

Jeez, Louise!

"That's impressive. Planning all this behind my back, huh? How come I never found out? I was home, wasn't I?"

When I asked that question, the girl jumped into my lap again.

I will never be on guard whenever she is around.

The girl's a cat! Always so unpredictable!

"Nope! I told your mom to tell you to do your chores and pick up groceries or something whenever we came to plan this out. I am surprised that it worked so far!" She answered while getting comfy.

Tch.

She is taking advantage of how family-oriented I am.

"I will always help my family out. I can't believe you guys exploited this part of me..." I muttered, secretly impressed by how well she knew me.

Natsuki smirked at her relative cunningness.

"Well, you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet. So it was all worth it in the end."

I rolled my eyes at her analogy.

"Yeah, yeah. The fact that you, Monika, my parents and yours, all planned this out is really sinking in. Seriously, that's impressive, Nat."

Her smirk turned to a grin.

"It was no sweat! My dad helped out with my plan the most, ya know. So you should give some that praise to him."

I widened my eyes at that.

"Wait, what?! Err, it makes sense he wanted you to be happy, but I didn't expect him to be the mastermind! Does that mean...?"

"That doesn't mean squat, Kid!" I heard from my left.

Standing near the door was Yamato with his usual glare and crossed arms.

"I didn't like it, but it was yours and my daughter's happiness at stake! And I would do anything for my family! So don't get any funny ideas, alright?" He declared, now moving his eyes away from me.

...

...

...

Uh...

He called me his family, and he is bouncing back forth.

So does that mean Natsuki's dad does the classic tsundere act again?

Because it's starting to make me really uncomfortable.

"Anyway, it's time for dinner, you two. So come downstairs as soon as possible." He said as he went to the dining room.

We both eyed his rather strange behavior.

Ever since I moved in, he's putting this strange act up.

"Hey, Nat... What's up with your dad?" I asked, bemused.

She smirked, but not at me, but towards her father.

"It's probably because he's really excited that someone in the family is a guy. He tried ta treat me as a son for a little bit when I was little. But that changed when I hit puberty and with my mom scolding him. Hehe!" The pinkette remarked.

Huh.

I think it's the same way for my mother.

She didn't raise my brother and me to be like girls or something, but she always saw Monika as her own daughter.

And right now, I think my mom sees Natsuki as her other daughter, partly because of my relationship a decade ago.

In any case, I am glad that I can be seen as Yamato's "adopted" son.

"That's great to hear. He did stop calling me 'Brat' and started calling me 'Kid.' That's a welcome change, honestly. Anyway, let's go down for some chow."

We both got off the bed and went towards the dining room.

The parents already had the kotatsu set up, so we both sat down in it.

I looked down at the food and was overtaken by the sheer number of food on the table.

"Whoa, this is a lot of food, Sakura. What brought this on?" I asked, a little puzzled.

I did have dinner with Natsuki's family before, and there was a decent amount of food.

But nothing of this quantity.

The older pinkette smiled.

"Val, you're part of the family now, aren't you? That calls for a celebration! Enjoy yourself!"

Makes sense.

I smiled back and bowed at her.

"Thanks, Sakura. It's much appreciated it."

She waved me off.

"Yeah, yeah. Eat up, will ya?"

We all prayed for the food and dug in.

As I ate, I saw Natsuki looking at me mischievously.

Uh, oh...

What's she planning?

Since Natsuki was sitting to my left, I had a feeling she was planning something.

Ever since our first time, she has been particularly sneaky for some reason.

I chalked it up to her being more open to me because of my genuine care towards her, but...

Oh, what am I saying?

That's the reason why.

Point is, whenever she looks at me with those darkened pink eyes, I feel she is up to something.

And that something has to do with me being flustered.

I gave her a warning look, saying that her family was still here.

But that didn't dissuade her at the very least at all.

She resumed eating, apparently stopping her seemingly ominous threat in its tracks.

Shouldn't keep my guard down.

Not at all.

I went back to my food and kept a wary eye on Natsuki, ready to stop her in her tracks.

For a couple of minutes, there wasn't anything suspicious happening, and we were all eating in relative peace.

Hmm...

This is awfully eerie.

I know she is going to attack.

But I have no idea when!

Damn, this tension is really getting to me!

My eyes wandered over to her parents, who were eating normally.

Their sense of peace went to me, so I calmed down a little.

However, that was a bad idea.

I felt a soft, small hand on my thigh.

My body nearly jolted up, but I managed to stay calm despite my heart beating uncontrollably.

From there, I went to look at Natsuki and saw that she was eating her elbow on the kotatsu.

Her other arm was underneath the kotatsu.

So this is what you're doing...?!

Tch.

And so I decided to play along, hoping to de-escalate the situation.

I placed my hand on her forearm and pushed it aside.

But she took the chance to move her hand inwards.

Aw shit.

Sakura, for some reason, giggled ominously.

"Val, Natsuki, I hope you two are enjoying the meal I worked hard on!" She smiled while eating.

That scared both of us to the bone, causing us to move away from each other.

I felt my face burn up from how she caught us.

We weren't doing anything wrong... yet.

But I never thought she would find out so quickly and early in the act!

Yamato looked up to see moving away from each other, confused by the events transpiring in front of him.

He looked to his daughter, to which he found no clues besides her reddened cheeks.

Then he looked towards me and immediately saw something on my neck.

"Argh...! That again, Brat?" He frowned.

I immediately turtle-necked to hide.

Sakura laughed at my unfortunate situation.

"Look's like the fang's come into use, isn't that right, Natsuki?"

Cupcake looked to me and winked at me, while playfully sticking her tongue out.

"Mhm! He loves getting bitten by me, and I can't get enough of it."

I clicked my tongue and gritted my teeth.

"As I said before, this is what happened when you bite too hard! Everyone notices it!"

She shrugged, knowing it would fluster me.

"Oh, boo-hoo. It lets everyone know that you're mine. Isn't that a good way to let others know that Val's mine?"

Sakura nodded approvingly.

"Mm. It was what I did when I was younger with Yamato."

I looked at him as he shrunk more and more.

"Hehe!" She laughed. "It would drive my dad wild. He would have the nastiest scowl you would ever see. Seeing my husband having to deal with that for a half-hour is hilarious!"

Yamato flared up, something I don't get to see often.

"Sakura... not in front of my trainee..." He mumbled as he quietly went back to eating.

I smiled at the married pair and went back to eating.

Once we finished eating, I volunteered to clean up only for Sakura to berate me.

"Val! You're a guest! Show some manners!"

I straightened my back at the annoyed mother.

"Yes, ma'am!"

She tightened her gaze at me.

Did I say something wrong...?

I am her guest after all and...

Oh, wait.

Does she want me to say... that?

But it's so embarrassing!

Especially since this happened today!

Argh!

"I-I mean... OK, mom." I whispered, deathly ignominious.

Sakura was satisfied with the new title I gave her.

"Good boy. Don't worry too much, we bought a new dishwasher, so I'll be putting that to use."

With that, she went straight to work.

As I came to, I saw Yamato bring out some glasses and a bottle of sake.

Oh, so we're celebrating hard, aren't we?

...

Still made an oath not to drink anything drunk-inducing.

I'm a bit afraid of what I would say if I were drunk and...

I heard stories about my great-granduncle's behavior whenever he drank.

From the look on my grandpa's face when he recounted the stories weren't pleasant.

Enough of that.

I was always a bit of a prude when it came to this, but... still.

Even it was just for these one times, I won't do it.

"Yamato, do me a favor and not serve me that."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm? Why not? We're celebrating, and it's only sake, it won't hurt."

On these rare occasions, I looked at him thoughtfully.

"I won't drink that. I appreciate the offer, and I apologize for disregarding showing disrespect. Sorry, Yamato."

Yamato looked towards Natsuki, to which she only nodded.

He then smiled at me, understanding my stance.

"Ah, don't sweat it, kid. We aren't that hardcore on tradition here either. My chief was like that too." The father sympathized. "We have ginger ale, tea, and some carbonated drinks. Which would you like?"

I smiled back at him, happy that he understood and offered alternatives.

"Ginger ale would be great. Thank you, dad."

He nodded with a knowing smile and poured some into the glass.

I took the glass with a nod and placed it on the kotatsu.

Sakura finished loading the dishes into the dishwasher and went back into the kotatsu.

By then, Yamato finished pouring the sake into the glasses.

"To Val, our newest member of our family!" He cheered while raising his glass.

We hit our glasses together.

"Cheers!"

And we downed our drinks in one gulp.

The three let out a sigh.

"We have a little extra to go around with since Val didn't want to drink. Do you guys want some more?"

In an instant, both Natsuki and Sakura put their glasses near him.

He poured the sake into their glasses, to which they instantly downed again.

For some reason, he didn't pour any onto his glass.

I'm guessing he wants to stay sober.

He then pulled out the bottle of ginger ale next to him.

I waved my hand to show that I didn't want to drink anymore.

"Wait. Yamato, don't you want to drink anymore?"

He shook his head.

"Yeah, you'll see why in a second." He said while crossing his arms.

Wait, what does that mean?

Both Natsuki and Sakura were starting to get red.

"Dear... I want more!" Sakura demanded, slamming the glass down onto the kotatsu.

"Dad! Me too!" Natsuki growled, causing me to widen my eyes.

Oh...

Now I know why.

I never have seen either of them drunk before.

He sighed.

"Yes, yes. Here, you are." He obliged, opening another bottle of sake up, pouring the contents into both glasses.

The two downed the glasses instantaneously again.

But Sakura obviously wasn't happy with this.

"Bring out da big guns, will ya? I am in da mood!" Sakura cheered with her daughter in tow.

I raised an eyebrow at this and looked at Yamato for an explanation.

He only sighed.

"They'll put up a tantrum." The defeated man muttered while bringing out a wine bottle.

From there, he poured the drinks in and put it away.

"That'll be your last one. No excuses, you two."

Once again, they downed the drinks almost instantaneously.

"Puaaah!" Natsuki happily sighed, with a ditzy smile on her lips. "That hit the spot..."

I was amused by how out-of-it she seemed.

She looked to me with a hint of seduction in her eyes.

Uh, that doesn't look good.

"Hey, Val?"

I gulped and nodded at her.

"Yes, Natsuki?"

She giggled and put her chin on her hands.

"Why are there, three Dear's?"

I immediately dead-panned.

Oh, that's just great.

"Ehehe... now's there a fourth one, here too! Now, what am I suppose ta' do? Which is da real Dear when there are four of ya? Who do I kiiiissss~?!"

And just as fast, my eyes shot open.

I looked to Yamato, who was also going through the same thing with his wife.

Aw, crap.

For some inexplicable reason, my girlfriend started to tear up.

Against my better judgment, I moved closer to her, to which she clung onto me.

"Waaaah! Uuuuhhhh~! Vaaaallll! Uuuu...!"

I very reluctantly patted her back, hoping that she would calm down a little.

"Now, now... Let me get you some water. That would fix things up."

As I stood up to leave, I felt an inhumane grip pull me down.

I nearly fell on top of her from how hard she pulled me.

From there, she latched onto me, causing me to fall over.

"Waaaah! Why are you so cooool~? It's unbelievable how coooool you are! You don't need even trrrryyyy~! You always, always make me happy and always, always think about me...! Uuuuuh! You're so niiiice~! You're so niiiice, Dear! I am so haaaapppppyyyy~! You also sooooo perverteeeeddddd, dependable, and passionate~! And also, perverted~!"

I was utterly at a loss for words.

Usually, no matter what happens, I would have something to say about the situation.

But because of how Natsuki was behaving, it would be safe to think it would be difficult to think of anything.

She was on the verge of tears at first, but now she is all laughs and smiles?!

What's with drunken women?!

"Erm... uh... I'm guessing they are all compliments, right?" I nervously commented.

Perverted?

Twice in a row?

I heard a low whine from the other side of the kotatsu.

Sakura was looking at me as well.

"It's soooo trueeeee...! What a fine man, Vallllyyy grew up to beeeeee~! Dependable, thoughtful, perverted, and best of all, so young and handsomeeeeee~! If I were a little youngeerrr and wasn't married, I would so hit on himmmm~! But... my heart will alwaaaays belong this idiot~! Hehehehe~!"

I scratched the back of my neck.

This is getting me uncomfortable.

I can't imagine Sakura hitting on me.

...

And hey!

Am I really that perverted?!

"I know, right...?! If I doooooo end up pregnant by himmmmm~, then I am sure it's going to be a boyyyyy~! Do you know whyyyyy~?"

A boy...?

A kid?

With Natsuki...?

...

Hehe, I wouldn't mind that.

But I want to provide for Natsuki and for our child if we do decide to have one.

"No... I don't. Why?" I asked, now feeling a little hopeful.

She pushed me down onto the floor and hugged me.

"Weelllll~! It's because of how you are always so mean to me and only me~! You like ta bully me a lot, don't you, Dear? I like how to mean you get whenever you play with meeeee~! It always makes me so horny when you get soooo rough~! Bully me more~!"

Uh...

I hope Yamato didn't hear that.

"Ehehehe! I'm gonna be soooo happy when we get married~! You're always going to be next to me, Vallll~! When we go to sleep at night, and when we wake up in the mornings, you'll always be there next to me! Ahahahahaha! I'm going to be so happy~!

I really can't take this.

She is so adorable when she is drunk!

The amount of confession is too much for my heart handle!

I don't think I can last any longer!

"Hahaha... Dear, you know I always think about you? Whenever we are at school, or when I working, I always think about yoooouuuu~! It hurts so much to control myself from telling you how much I loveeeee you~! Heeeeeyyyy, Valllllll, do you see how much I love youuuuu~? Are you feeling it now, Valllllll~?"

I gritted my teeth and balled my hands up.

Shiitttttt!

I am at my limit!

I really, really want to hug and kiss her soo badly right now!

I want to show her that I love her as much she does!

But I have to stay healthy!

Dad told me that I have to always be strong around drunk women!

And it's that advice I will take to heart!

"Yeah... I am. I really am feeling how much you love me, Natsuki. And I really do love you too."

I hugged her back, which was the least I can do to the drunk girl.

Natsuki tugged at my sleeve, causing me to pull away and look at me.

From there, she straddled me and pulled her dress up.

My eyes widened at what she was showing me.

Oh no...

Her underwear is showing one hell of a wet spot.

"Can you bully me, Val... Please?" She cutely begged. "(I rweally want you to mwean to meee...)"

ARGH!

Is this what they the "moe phenomenon"?!

My heart is seriously about to give out!

The fact that Natsuki managed to say that in almost perfect English really, really turns me on!

No!

I have to stay healthy!

But if I flat out say no, she might cry...

I think.

It's tough to tell her when she's drunk.

So that means I gotta be a little careful with her.

I scooped the girl in my arms and carried her bridal style.

"Yamato, I gonna take Natsuki to my room to sober her up," I said. "Goodluck with your wife."

He gave me a quick nod before dealing with the approaching Sakura.

As I took the drunk girl, she shuffled her thighs together.

"Valllll~! I can't hold it in anymoreeeee~! Bully meeee~!" She whined impatiently.

Uh...

Yeah, I would rather not have sex with a girl who is clearly out of it.

It's the morals of it that count to me, at the very least.

"I'll bully you, Natsuki. Just wait, you'll get your due punishment, you bad girl." I played along.

She giggled at my words.

"Yes, Master... I have been a very naughty girl... Please punish me..."

My pants felt pretty tight.

Kragh!

I never thought I would get turned on by her so much!

Come on, hold on a little longer me.

I have a feeling she gonna fall asleep anytime now.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case at all.

When we got to my room, she was still wide-awake.

"Alright, Natsuki. Let's take a shower, OK?"

She shook her head.

"NO!" The pinkette yelled, causing me to jolt back from the sheer intensity.

Cupcake jumped into my bed and pulled her underwear down.

"Punish me!" She demanded.

I couldn't help but sigh at her.

Goodness...

She really wants to be punished.

By the looks of it, if I force her, things will only get worse.

She spread her legs out and showed me her wet lips.

My heart skipped a beat as she boldly showed me how turned on she was.

"I was waiting... Ever since you sat down next to me... I was waiting, so you could punish me... Please bully me." She asked again.

I clicked my tongue from all this.

"Very well. You'll get your punishment. After all, you waited patiently."

Ever since we had our first time, she referred to anything sexual as "punishments" and would want me to "bully" her.

To be honest, I kinda like it.

As I leaned in more and more, I noticed something was off about her.

Instead of her sexual-crazed eyes, it was closed.

Her chest raised up and down as she snored lightly.

Oh...

Oh, come on!

You got me in the mood, and this is what you do to me?!

Damn it!

I pinched the side of my nose and exhaled loudly.

Look at the bright side, me.

At least, I won't be making my bed... rock while I am here on my first day.

Immediately going in would just be...

Well straight out of porno flick or something.

Gotta have some standard, I suppose.

I grabbed her underwear, cleaned her up, and undressed the sleeping girl.

Once that was done, I laid her in my bed and tucked her in.

I exited my new room and made my way to the bathroom.

Once I was there, I put the relatively wet underwear into the washer.

I took off my uniform and sighed heavily.

Looks like we will be sleeping in the same bed for today, huh?

I am fine with that, but I hope both of his parents will understand.

Hmm...

I did say to Yamato that I am taking her to sober her up.

And Sakura always did approve of me, and anything I did had a definite look.

...

Especially when she sorta confessed to me.

Yeesh, if I was younger and knew her somehow would be a strange experience.

Given how Sakura's relationship with her husband, I have a feeling she WILL hit on me one way or another.

Yep, that's a given.

...

I shuddered with the force of a thousand thoughts of Sakura hitting on me.

And so I forced myself to think about something else.

My thoughts drifted to the confession-spree Dear said to me.

To think that Natsuki actually thinks that about me.

I am actually really humbled by all that.

And...

It really opens up to how much she loves me.

Connecting to her is one thing, but opening your heart and letting the words come out is whole another ballpark.

I will make sure to repay somehow with what she said to me.

Once I was naked, I opened the glass door to the shower and turned on the showerhead.

Yep, I don't mind at all that I live here.

And I am going to give it everything I got during Yamato's training.

He said I have potential, so I want to prove that I can maximize my abilities!

If I want to marry Natsuki and prove that I can take care of a family, then I have to beat Yamato in a fight.

Boxing isn't going to enough, and I can't wait to learn more and more.

Also, it's without a doubt that I am gonna learn more about him.

That's the perfect bonding time for both of us!

...

There's also another reason why I want to take up the training.

It's because so I repay their kindness.

Natsuki's family has been kind to me ever since I came into their household for the first time in years.

And they have given me some valuable advice on some touchy matters.

Not only that, but they also put the effort to allow me to live here.

This will be the perfect way to repay them.

And I won't let them down!

* * *

I felt warm.

The sun caressed my exposed skin, warming it with its rays.

My body felt like it was held by someone.

Val.

I opened my eyes slowly to see him still soundly asleep.

He had me in a tight grip, caging my little body in his arms.

Dear always did make me feel safe.

And I absolutely love that about him.

Feeling safe in his arms, I closed my eyes again, let myself rest for a little longer.

...

Why do I feel so much more free than usual?

I opened the blanket to see that I wasn't wearing any underwear.

Huh?!

Wait, did we have sex last night?

...

No, I don't think so.

Everything from last night was still a blur, even if I try my best to focus.

As I moved about in the bed, Dear woke up.

"Fuah... Morning, Nat." He cutely greeted.

I couldn't help but lean in and kiss him the cheek.

"Good morning to ya, Val. You slept like a rock today."

He gave me a simper.

"Well, you gave me a lot to digest last night. It was a confession-assault, to say the least. Seriously, I never thought you would say all those things to me."

I was a little worried about his words.

Wait, I didn't say anything wrong to him while I was drunk, right?

"And no, I can see it in your pink eyes, you didn't say anything bad to me."

He flared up as he recounted what happened last night.

"Instead, it was quite the contrary, and it really opened my mind to how you look at me, Nat."

Jeez, what did I even say to him?

He is like a kitten right now!

"As you can tell, I have no idea what I said! Care to tell a gal what happened?" I asked, with a worried frown.

Dear's heating face grew a little worse as if he realized the extent of my words last night.

"If you want... It's a little embarrassing to recount to you. But if you insist."

I leaned my body against him and waited for him to get ready.

"Whew. It's hot in here, want me to open the window and get some drinks before we-"

Seriously?!

It's like when I confessed to him!

He's stalling because he is so nervous!

That does bring up some great memories, but now is not the time.

"Dear." I impatiently called.

He bit his lips, now choosing his next words wisely.

"Fine then... you went on a spree of complimenting me and talking about our future. Goodness, where do I even begin? As soon as you went for the bottle of wine with your mom, you got drunk. Do you at least remember what happened a little?"

I shook my head, which made his frown a little more nervous.

Jeez, what is that embarrassing?

Complimenting him and talking about the future?

What's so wrong about that?

"Well, in any case, when you got drunk, you saw three different me's in your eyes. And then a fourth one appeared. You asked me who was the real one so you can kiss me."

I felt my cheeks starting to burn a little.

Pssh!

That isn't so bad...

But I didn't expect myself wanting to kiss him so badly.

Maybe it's because we didn't kiss that much the whole day.

I do get a little fussy when we don't kiss a lot in one day...

For some reason, Val chuckled to himself.

"As soon you asked who was the real one, you started to tear up. I moved closer to you, and you pounced on me. That doesn't seem to change whenever you are drunk or not? You're such a cat, Nat."

I vaguely remember myself jumping on top of him by faking my cries.

I also vaguely remember myself confessing a lot to him.

"So once you were on top of me, you... hmm. You thought I was cool, nice, dependable, passionate, and perverted. You call me perverted twice in a sentence. But you did say that I always thought of you and it made you happy. Also, did I mention that you called me perverted twice?"

I bit my lips and looked away.

Damn it...!

Now I remember what I said!

"W-Well..." I started to say, now crossing my arms. "It's not my fault how cool you are. You're so cool when you put your mind into something and how to pull yourself up from anything. It's like its second nature to you, ya know? I can rely on you to get the job done when you put your all to it. You are always so passionate about getting the job done, or even when you are talking about doing the right thing."

Dear rubbed the back of his head.

"That's got me thinking, actually. I never thought myself to be the do-gooder and morally-correct guy. I thought it made me look like a bit of a dick. But now hearing that from you, I kind of doubt it..." He muttered, unsure of what to think.

I hugged and drew my head close to his chest.

"It's a bit of a good thing. And it's a part of your personality. So don't overthink it, OK?"

I flicked him on the forehead.

"Seriously! Don't overthink it! You have a bad habit of doing that!"

He rubbed his forehead.

"Noted, I won't overthink it. Jeez, I am glad I have you as my girlfriend. You always worry about me too. It's so endearing."

I smirked at him.

"And I am glad that you're my boyfriend too! Now, continue! I want to know what else I said."

He nodded.

"Right, after your confession barrage, you called me perverted. Which I guess is sort of self-explanatory. Your mom sort of hit on me, saying that she would want to date me if she was younger and not married. But thankfully, she is still in love with your dad. So, that wraps it up."

Eugh!

Mom!

Why would he want to hit on Val?!

It's not like he's good-looking.

...

OK, he's actually good-looking but still!

"Now comes the part where you... uh... told me that if you did get pregnant, it would be a boy."

For some reason, I knew the answer immediately.

I grinned at my flustered boyfriend.

"Well, duh, you like to bully me a lot. When we do get on the bed, you really, really are very mean to me. Ever since you bullied me during our first time, it would only turn me on more. I like that, ya know."

He gritted his teeth and laid his head on the pillow.

"Argh! You're such a masochist! Seriously, I never thought you would be like this!"

I laughed at his comment.

"Heyyyy~! It means we are a good match, right? You're such a sadist when you bully me, and I am a masochist when I like it! It just works!"

He facepalmed, causing me to laugh even harder.

"I still am fazed with saying anything related to those terms. Agh! Whatever. After all that, you admitted to saying that I am always on your mind. Even if you are busy with something you... think about me. You also wanted to tell everyone how much you love me."

...

Even if I try to deny it, there's no doubt that I always have him in some corner of my mind?

I mean, how can't I think about him?

After all, he already changed my life so much.

"I mean yeah, why wouldn't I want everyone how lucky I am to score you as my boyfriend? I... I am really am glad to be your girlfriend. And I am glad that you fell in love with me."

Val nodded at me and hugged me.

"Now, I think this is something that... bothered, no wait, that was on my mind for a while now, it's about how life would be if we do get married."

...

If we got...

Married?

Immediately after thinking about it, my mind registered what I said yesterday.

"All of it was true..." I muttered, cutting him from his recounting.

My heart is beating so fast...

He smells so good too, and I don't know why.

"Hmm?"

I looked directly at my boyfriend's onyx black eyes.

"Everything about how I would imagine our newlywed lives is true. That is something I really want. I want to wake up next to you. I want to sleep with you. I... I always want to be next to you whenever I can. That's what I want. So that we can be together forever."

His widened eyes started to shake for a little before he closed them.

"That... makes me so happy, now that I realize it. A girl- no, a woman like you, wanting to spend her life with me. Someone that will sleep and wake up with me and will never leave my side. This is what every guy truly want from a companion. And this really... turned me on."

He opened his eyes and looked deep into my pink eyes.

Ehhh?!

W-W-What?!

Since when did he talk like that?!

...

But I do have to admit, his eyes look really good right now.

It's like they staring into my desires.

I felt Val's rod poking my butt through his shorts.

Given how I wasn't wearing any underwear, I was able to make out the usual shape it was.

"This is a weakness that guys have or at least something that I know I have. And... I don't know if I can hold it for much longer..."

My heart was pounding from how husky his voice has gotten.

I frowned at him and pulled the blanket up.

There he also saw how turned on I was too.

"Don't you dare forget what happened last night... You said you were going to punish me, right? But you never did. So I want you to do it for real this time."

* * *

Natsuki looked away and pulled the blanket off of us.

I know that isn't like me at all.

But my mind is going haywire!

Her cute confession, how seriously she said it all, and she was holding onto me was breaking my sanity!

I...

I really want her now.

To think I would be reduced to a ravenous beast because of her.

Argh!

The pinkette sat on my belly while her hands went for my crotch.

She shuffled through my boxers and set me free.

I gave a shaky sigh from how relieved I felt.

"W-Wow... first thing in the morning and it's this big. That can't be any good, especially since you have training in the afternoon with my dad..."

I impatiently rolled my eyes and decided to reach up and touch her.

She immediately shivered by my touch.

"Uuuugh! H-Hey, don't touch me so suddenly..." Natsuki muttered as she reared her flushed face towards me.

I smirked at her.

"It's not my fault that your body is so sensitive. The slightest touch gets you all riled up, huh?"

I ran my finger along her outer lips, causing her to shiver once more.

"Fh... Fwah...! Ah, hah...!"

Natsuki reached down and wraps her hands around me, already curving it upward.

I grit my teeth from the touch.

"Haaah... So something like this is always hitting my womb, eh? It's a miracle that I fit all of you in me."

I ran my fingers along with Natsuki's womanhood once again, to which she let out some soft sighs.

She bit her lips and stopped herself from letting out another moan.

Natsuki slowly began to move her hand up and down.

"Ya know... yer really hot."

My heart jumped from her comment.

"Ah..." I let out.

I felt myself twitch a little in her hands.

"So, you're feeling good... I am happy."

As she stroked me, I couldn't stop the small groan of pleasure, escaping my mouth.

Her soft hands and the timid movements of her fingers made to a strangely torturous but stimulating sensation.

"Dear... Are you feeling good?" She cutely asked.

I felt myself twitch from her question.

"Yeah, I feel great..." I answered.

Time to kick it up a notch.

"Ehehe! I-I'm glad..." She whispered.

I brought my face close to Natsuki's womanhood and began to tickle it gently with my tongue's tip.

"Ah! F-Fwah! Ah...! Hah...!"

I grinned from how quickly things turned around.

"Cupcake... Are you feeling good?" I mimicked.

She gave an adorable cry to my question.

"Y-Yeah, it did... you bully."

I chuckled at her answer.

"Heheh, is that so? I'll keep at it then."

She gave another cry to my bullying.

"T-That's not fair... haaa... I-I'm also going to lick you too... See how you like it, you bully."

Natsuki began to run her tongue gently over my head.

I heard her licking and slurping on me, causing me to grit my teeth from pleasure.

"Gah! Haah...!"

She stopped her licking for a split second.

"You just twitched again..."

I have nothing to say to her.

She knows what that meant.

"Mm... ahh, mmph..."

Every time Natsuki's wet, soft tongue ran over my head, the heat it leaves behind traveled throughout my body.

Despite that sensation, I gave it my all as I moved my tongue into her.

"Hey, Dear... you know what's funny about this right here...?" She asked while nuzzling me.

I pulled away for a second.

"It's big... but it also so cute whenever it twitches... Kind of like you, ya know?"

That hit my pride a little.

"I don't know how to feel about that," I muttered, a little hurt.

She kissed me on the head.

"Don't worry, I love it, Val."

Natsuki's sincere compliment sent a shiver down my spine, to which my body reacted accordingly.

"Ah! It just twitched again!"

She put her mouth onto me again and started using her tongue to tickle me.

And so, I spread open her labia and began licking her vaginal opening directly.

Her sensitive body felt the action, causing her to pull away and arch her back.

"Nhaaah! Ah! Hah...!"

I smirked at her.

"Looks like your lips are twitching down here. You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I remarked.

She gave me her usual cry whenever she got bullied by me.

"Uuuh... It feels so good, though..."

To conceal her embarrassment, I felt Natsuki lap my head with increased vigor.

Instead of pulling away, I licked her right back, starting to feel her juices on my tongue.

"Auuh... It feels so good, but... I want you to play fair for once, you bully." She declared.

With that, she escalated the stakes further by opening her mouth wide and taking me deep inside.

My hip couldn't help thrust up from how sudden it was.

"Mmwaaah! My mouf ish fwull of yhoou..."

As she tried to speak, her tongue randomly tickled my head, causing me to tremble and grunt.

"Argh...! Gah!"

Natsuki slowly began to move her head up and down, trying to see how much I would react to each movement.

I felt her lips slide along the length of manhood, with her tongue teasingly tickling my head.

Every little movement and adjustments she made sent surges of pleasure through my body.

"Hrk! Argh!" I grunted, trying my best to return the favor to her.

That's it!

This time, I pressed my lips right up against the mouth of her womanhood and began sucking on it.

"Nhaaah! Hah, hah, hah!"

I felt Natsuki faltering a little before she picked up the pace as well.

She put her hand on the root of my rod and stroked it along with her usual licking.

Her lips move back and forth along the sensitive parts of myself, continually causing my back to shiver with delight.

I reached up and gave Natsuki's erect, little clitoris a firm pinch.

"Ahhhh! Hyaaaah! Ah! N-No! I'm sensitive there... Don't you... Stop... You bully...!"

Heh, I had a feeling she would like this.

She counterattacked by taking my entirety into her mouth, leaving a little of my base under her hand's grip.

Her warm mouth was mostly covered me, and with her constant stroking and head movements, I was losing my mind.

Not good...

I don't think I can last for much longer!

In response to her bold move, I decided to adjust as well.

Instead of using my finger to pinch, I used my tongue to harass her from there.

"AHH!" She yelped with the sudden change but quickly focused on her deed.

We were dead set on pleasuring each other.

"T-The way you're... haaah! Using your tongue feels so good!" She moaned.

"And the way... Argh... You're using your mouth is impeccable...!"

I put my hands around her curves and pushed her into my mouth, allowing me more control over my licking.

In a desperate attempt to fight back, she took me in completely, now disregarding my shaft.

My cunnilingus and Natsuki's fellatio continued to grow more intense as we pushed each other towards a climax.

We stopped talking entirely. Now devoting all our attention to delivering each other greater pleasure.

I felt my hips thrust into her while she bucked her hips on me.

"Mmph! Amph! Mmm!"

The twitching and swelling inside of me was starting to burst.

I felt the world starting to flicker before my very eyes.

The bliss I felt signaled Natsuki to focus her bobbing and sucking in a single area.

I...

I won't lose it!

My tongue followed suit, as I focused my torment onto a single point of her clitoris.

"Hyaaah! AAH! W-Why won't you play fair for once... You bully...!"

By how shaky and desperate her voice got, I knew she was on her last legs.

"Dear! Ah! Dear! I-I can't hold it in for much longer...! Nggghaaah!"

And in that instant, I reached the point of no return.

"Gwaaah!"

I felt legs buckle before me, my member twitching and throbbing, now delivering the blasts of my orgasm.

Natsuki's womanhood pressed against me, with her legs now desperately locking with my head.

Just as this was happening, came Natsuki's bright, sweet liquid now flooding my mouth.

Our bodies quivered with ecstasy, we dirtied each other with our ejaculation.

Her body went completely slack, letting out a long sigh of exhaustion.

Even despite this, her body displayed the aftershocks of her orgasm.

Her body and womanhood continued to twitch spasmodically.

I pulled away from her and rested my head against the pillow.

"Now... That was great, don't you think, Nat?"

She didn't move a muscle.

"Yeah... it was amazing. My head's all fuzzy... and my body doesn't wanna move at all..."

I felt myself soften a little after the intense session.

And so, we stayed on the bed for a couple of minutes until we can recover our stamina.

It came the time that we had to wash up and clean ourselves up.

"Hey, Nat. Let's go..."

She turned to me with her dirtied face.

It took me everything I had not to get turned on again.

Keep it together, I still gotta train with her father today.

"OK... but can you carry me? I still feel a little tired." She said, apparently embarrassed.

I smiled at her.

"Yeah, of course."

Natsuki rolled off of me, allowing me to get off the bed.

I put my arms underneath her knees and back and pulled her off the bed.

As usual, she is light as ever.

Her pink eyes looked longingly at mine.

"I love you, Val."

She leaned in to kiss me, but I moved my head away from her.

"Eh?"

I coughed and cleared my throat.

"Cupcake... I am not kissing you with your face dirtied like that." I muttered.

She flared up and tapped her fingers together.

"R-Right... I forgot... But it's still your fault, Baka..."

I opened the door and saw that the coast was clear.

There was no one apparently in the bathroom, too, so we entered it together.

I let the girl off my arms and helped clean up Natsuki's face and hair.

"Right... I forgot that you got longer hair than before. It always gets me mesmerized between how you looked a year ago and how you looked back when we were kids."

She giggled at me.

"Hehe! You wanted me to grow my hair out, so this is the price that you got to pay, don't you think?"

I shook my head to myself.

"Haha...! I guess so."

Once I cleaned up Natsuki, I leaned in for a kiss.

"Natsuki, I love you too."

And with that, we kissed.

* * *

I waited outside the store, a little anxious about the upcoming training session.

Yamato told me that he was going to be hard on me, no matter what.

I can't wait to learn, though.

He's giving me a chance to learn everything he learned during his time in the SAT.

And that's a chance I am going to take so I can beat him in a fight.

I promised Natsuki that I will win no matter what, so I am going to give it everything I got!

I pumped myself up, much to the confusion of the man I was waiting for.

Instead of his casual clothes or his apron, he is wearing a black jumpsuit.

I was also wearing a jumpsuit, albeit green.

It's probably because I am green to him.

"Well, well, Kid... Looks like you're wearing the jumpsuit I gave you. I can tell you're going to take this seriously, huh?"

I nodded my head.

"Yes, I am! I'll do whatever to takes myself a man and improve myself, so I can be a worthy man!"

He rolled his eyes at my affirmation.

"Uh-huh. You said this a couple of times already. Come on, we're going to my truck. Our training grounds are outside the city, near the outskirts."

With that, we started walking to his truck.

"Hey, should I drive?" I asked.

The man was flabbergasted, to say the least.

"No! Of course not! No way you're driving my baby around!" He answered.

Uh...

I'm guessing he doesn't want anyone driving his truck around beside himself.

Yamato cleared his throat towards me.

"I mean, it would be better that I drive since I know where to go. And you don't have the best sense of direction, Kid."

I slumped my shoulders at his retort.

Well, yeah.

It's for the best since I sometimes get lost without clear-cut directions.

"But, it's pretty good that you know how to drive at your age, everyone nowadays takes public transportation. Hah... I guess it's for the best. It's cheaper, don't have to worry about maintenance, and can be a convenient excuse if you're running late somewhere." He wistfully stated, now taking a turn.

I took the turn with him and kept up.

"Dad used to drive me around a lot in his car when I was younger. And it was a really effective way to calm me down when I was a baby, apparently. Whenever I started crying to two overworked, exhausted parents, they obviously will get stressed out. So what my dad to stop my crying was to carry me in arms and cruise around town. It helped since I lived at a quiet corner near Brooklyn and Queens." I reminisced.

He chortled at my reminiscing.

"You know, you're the exact opposite of my little gal. Keeping her still was the best option to stop her crying. If we dared to go on a vehicle or anything that moved without needing a human limb, she would explode into tears. I had to limit my time driving my truck around, which hurt, believe me."

We arrived at the location of his truck, which was kept in a small garage.

Yamato opened the garage door and revealed a white pickup truck.

"Because... I love riding around this truck!"

His truck was nearly pristine, with no specks of dust or dirt on any part of the vehicle.

It was evident that he spent a great deal of time working on and cleaning his truck.

"Whoa... now that's a fine-looking truck. How much is the HP?" I asked, marveling at the truck.

He grinned as he walked up to his pride and joy.

"This truck's rocking a 2.4 L 4-cylinder engine, with about 135 HP, she sings when she's on the road, trust me. Come on, let's get a move on."

I nodded and got onto the passenger seat.

He started the engine, roaring the truck alive.

With that, he pulled out of the garage and got into the road.

"It's gonna take some to get to the outskirts of time. So sit back for a bit. We'll stretch and warm up once we get there. I wasn't joking when I said I would push you to your limits. So get ready."

I nodded and took a deep breath.

There was an awkward silence between us since we didn't have much to talk about.

Every time we would round a turn, I can tell he was trying to break the silence.

Well...

What is there to talk about anyway?

Yamato drove for a bit before sighing.

"Hey, kid. It's not in my place to ask but... I want to know your relationship with my daughter a little more. I... I can't help myself from worrying a little, ya know? You grew up to a great guy and all, but... Do you... Well, do you really want to be with my daughter?" He asked, obviously a little embarrassed.

This is something I have thought about for a while.

And it's something I can't afford to be embarrassed about in the first place either.

This is where I have to be serious about my thoughts on the matter.

"Yeah, I do. We have been dating for almost a year now, and I want to... I want to be with Natsuki. And I don't want to wait too long. I want to tie the knot whenever I can and feel like the option is open to me."

He nodded slowly from my words.

"You know... I approve of you being with my little girl. You would be a good man for her, whether she knows it or not. And I am serious about that, kid."

The truck slowed to obey a red light, pushing him to look at me in the eyes.

"There's no other man I would approve of other than you. The fact you took me up on my offer so you can beat me in a fight is what a man would do. You're willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done."

I rubbed my arm and laughed nervously from his words.

Yep...

I told myself I wouldn't be flustered or anything, but hearing him compliment after him being so... tsun around me is...

It's pretty taxing to take in.

"Thanks... Yamato." I mumbled, causing him to smirk at me.

"Well, well... You don't take compliments that well, do ya? That's something I can exploit out of ya." He laughed, causing me to frown.

The father saw my frown and laughed harder.

As we approached the outskirts, I was able to loosen up considerably.

This is it...

I am ready for what lies ahead.

It's for Natsuki!

Yamato pulled over and parked at a rather well-kept house.

Some of the buildings have been run-down or abandoned in the city's outskirts, this was a sight for sore eyes.

As I walked up to it, I felt an immense wave of deja vu hit me.

"H-Here we are! Welcome to my house..."

Natsuki?

For some reason, her hair's shorter than it is now, like the shoulder-length hair she keeps it at.

Why is she wearing the Dokisai uniform from last year?

And is that...

Me?

"Kid? Hey, Kid! Snap out of it!" I heard someone yell.

I looked around and saw no one around besides Yamato taking the keys to the house.

"You OK? You looked... unwell. Something I am all too familiar with."

I shook my head and looked towards him.

"No, no. I'm fine. I just felt like I've seen this place before, but I never went to this part of town in my life." I tried to explain.

He raised an eyebrow from my words but nodded.

"Mm, I think I know what you mean. But I haven't shown you this place besides my family. We lived here a long time ago, actually. I come around every month to clean this place up here and there. This area... used to be pretty homey, but it hurts to see it like this."

That explains why it's so clean compared to the rest of the area.

"Anyway, I got some equipment that you need so we can start your training. Come inside."

He opened the door, and we went inside.

There, another blast of deja vu hit me, but it wasn't as hard it was before.

...

This place is too weird.

Why do I think there's a firing range downstairs?

Heh, what are the odds that there is one here?

"Hey, Yamato. You wouldn't happen to have a firing range around here, right?" I joked while looking at the rather empty but clean houses.

The answer he gave took me off-guard.

"Oh, I do! Didn't expect that you find that part of the training out already. Smart thinking, Kid."

...

What the hell?

How did I know about that?

Argh...

Stay focused, me.

It's a little strange for me to know all this, but I can't let these thoughts linger in my head for too long.

Otherwise, I won't be able to give it my all.

Yamato tossed me a duffle bag, which almost made me double over from how heavy it was.

He got his own duffle bag slung on him and motioned me to go outside to the backyard.

We went outside, where he threw his bag on the fake green grass.

"Alright, let's get started. Now, I gotta know what level you're at right now. So come to me!"

...

He wants me to hit him?

"So you want me to hit you?" I asked.

Yamato only gave me a curt nod as he got into his own fighting stance.

He kept his arms at the same level, with his right arm taking the lead.

I nodded and got into my boxing stance.

Here goes...!

I charged at him and tried to land in a simple jab.

But instead, he side-stepped me and palmed me with his right, aiming for my lower body.

Looks like he's aware of some a boxer's weaknesses.

So I got to focus on my footwork and avoid some of his attacks.

This I went in with a cross, to which he expectantly blocked with his left arm.

I saw that he was trying to go for the lower body again, but I could twist my body to block his attack.

With that, I went for an uppercut.

But as if he anticipated it, he intercepted me and blocked my uppercut, and turned his body to hit me from the back with his shoulder.

Because of that, I nearly fell over from the attack.

"Jeez! It's like you're reading my mind!" I groaned, now getting up.

This time, I decided to take another approach.

Maybe I should focus on countering instead.

I attempted to land a punch in, to which expectedly blocked, and moved to intercept by hitting me on the back.

Gotcha!

I maneuvered to the side and threw in a counter cross against him.

To my surprise, it actually hit, only for me to get caught back immediately.

Damn!

With that, Yamato relaxed, which meant the fight was over.

The veteran put his hands on his hips and thought for a bit.

"Hmm... Just as I thought, potential. You were able to adapt in the second attack, and you knew I was going to exploit your defenses. You tried counterattacking, but by using a boxing stance and using boxing moves, it was easy to deflect. It would work wonders with a person who doesn't have experience with boxing. In any case, a boxing defense isn't the best when you're going against people you hit your lower body. The best you can do is twist your hips or pull away. That's not good enough if you're going against a guy who knows different fighting styles."

I listened carefully as he lectured me during the short fight we had, my strengths and weaknesses, and new methods to adapt.

This will take a while, but I can't give up now.

It's only getting started.

We continued to train throughout the whole day.

* * *

Jeez, it's getting dark out.

What's taking them so long?

As I walked towards the garage, I couldn't help but wonder what my Dad and Dear were doing back in our old house.

Hm, he did say that there was still some equipment back there that he can't bring back here.

Some of that equipment was from his days in the SAT.

And my mom was always worried sick about dad going into these missions and responding to any terrorism.

So whenever she saw any of the old equipment lying around in the house, she would have a mini panic attack.

Because of that, the best thing to do was leave the gear behind in that old house.

...

I don't remember why we moved out of our old house anyway, but I don't have any memories.

But it's strangely the reason why I got lost in the city of the first place.

For some reason, I knew where our old house was and went straight there.

By then, the neighborhood's already changed, and some roads were closed...

So I got lost.

And that's where I met my boyfriend for the first time.

Hmm...

I should ask him why he was here in the first place all those years ago if he was visiting...

The closest thing I can remember is when we were moving out to the bakery.

What I do remember is mom having heart surgery when I still pretty young.

Other than that, I am just drawing blanks.

I saw the white truck that my dad loves driving coming down the road ahead in the distance.

Through the window-shield, I saw that the two were chatting and getting along, a rare sight back home.

Because of that, I couldn't help but smile at them.

The garage door opened, and the truck headed inside, and out came my boyfriend, who let out a heavy sigh.

"Dear!" I cheerily yelled, jumping on his back.

He was obviously taken aback from this but managed to stand his ground.

"Huh?! N-Natsuki?! Jeez! You almost gave me a heart attack!" The man exclaimed, clutching his chest to soothe his rapidly beating heart.

Once he let out another sigh, he shifted his head towards me, and he couldn't help but scowl at me.

"I didn't expect you to wait for me at all. I thought you were at home right now." He asked.

I playfully rolled my eyes.

"Baka. I was working all day, covering for dad and you. We had a bunch of customers come in all of a sudden, and it was a bloodbath. Mom and I just closed up shop now, and I am here to get some fresh air."

He pursed his lips and shrugged.

"Is that so? In any case, I would love to talk about this more with you, but I am on the verge of scrambling like an egg and folding over like an omelet. So please, Natsuki, can you get off my back."

Wow...

I didn't realize that he would be this tired.

...

He's this tired because he worked hard for my sake!

That makes me sooooo happy!

I got off his back and hugged his arm.

As soon as I did that, my dad walked out of the garage and saw us.

"There you two are. I take it work went well back home?"

I glared at him, something that made him flinch.

"No! It went horribly! Mom told you that today was going to be pretty busy! You should have listened to her gut feeling!" I hollered.

He laughed to himself nervously.

"Sorry, I really didn't think it would be this bad. I did say we were going today, and a man never backs down from a promise. I won't make the same mistake again."

My glare only tightened.

"Don't come to me and apologize. Mom's the one who is really angry at you."

He gulped and started to retreat to his garage.

"I-Is that so? An angry Sakura is a force to be reckoned with... I'll wait and work on the truck before coming home."

That'll make mom even angrier, dad.

We both nodded and left him to his devices and inevitable fate.

The two of us walked home, enjoying the calm autumn breeze under an orange sunset.

Neither of us said a word, not because of how I yelled at my dad, but because we were both genuinely tired.

I never thought I would get this tired already.

Whenever it would get busy, I would still have some energy left over.

Right now, I feel a little tired than I thought I would be.

Strange...

"So, Gill. Did you learn anything from dad from the training session today?" I asked, hoping to get a carefree conversation going.

He rubbed his chin in thought.

But once he knew what he wanted to say, he burst like a bubble.

"Yeah, I learned plenty. Turns out your dad really knows how to fight, heh. He handed my ass to me on a silver platter. But he did teach me what I was doing wrong with my boxing form, something I am grateful for. But he taught me a little bit of Muay Thai to help round out my boxing skills a little more. Getting to use my shins and knees, along with my boxing, helps me out plenty. After it is the form of the eight limbs for a reason. The next time we go training, he said he is going to help me condition my body so I can use it to its full potential. I can't wait to learn more from your dad!"

I smiled at how enthusiastic he was.

He's like a little kid geeking out about a video game or TV show.

It's charming.

"You're cute, ya know," I muttered.

That confused him rather than getting him flustered.

"Hmm? Where did that come from?"

I shook my head at him.

"You're like a little kid coming home after a long day of school and telling your parents what you learned. It's adorable, Dear."

It was there. His face started flare-up.

"O-Oh... So that's what you meant."

But before he can mount a comeback, I heard an all-too-familiar meow to my side.

Ah!

That's right!

I was planning on feeding him while I was on my way to Dear.

But I didn't see him so I thought he wouldn't be coming out today...

Looks like I was wrong.

A familiar black cat came around the corner, prompting me to drag Dear towards him.

But for some reason, the cat starting hissing at us and backing away.

"Nat! What are you doing?!" Dear whispered while keeping eye contact with the cat.

The cat's hissing grew worse as he stared down with Gill.

On the other hand, Gill kept a steady gaze at the cat, watching any sudden movements from him.

"Val, this is the cat that I was feeding for a while now... And he came here so I can give him food." I explained, now letting go of his arm.

That caused him to look at me and back at the cat.

"Oh... Is that so? Well, I guess I'll let you at it then. It's obvious that he doesn't like me."

He backed away slowly to not spook the cat and went around the street, so he was out of sight.

Once he was gone, the cat calmed down but kept a steady gaze towards Dear's direction.

"Don't worry, he's gone," I whispered, hoping it would ease him. "It's OK."

To my pleasant surprise, it did, and he looked at me expectantly.

I pulled out the food for today, to which he immediately ate from the palm of my hand.

Wow... I didn't think he would be this hungry today.

Maybe I should get more food for him then.

I looked towards where Gill went and saw he was watching afar with a smile.

He thinks it's cute of me to feed a cat, doesn't he?

Well, he's right, cause it is cute!

As the cat continued to eat, he nuzzled his head against my knee, purring affectionately.

I petted his black fur and scratched the back of his ear.

Once that was done, he got up and went down the usual alley where he retreats to.

I got up and walked over to Val, who was crossing his arms and smirking at me.

"What?" I droned, hoping he would tease me about what happened.

He shook his head.

"No, it's nothing. Just thought it was cute that you took care of a cat all this time."

Dear then put his hand over my head and patted it, something I always enjoyed.

"Is there any particular reason why you like taking care of him?" He asked.

There is...

I took a deep breath, as it was a story that I didn't like to talk about.

"Yeah... It's a long story. Do you wanna hear it?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course I want to! Tell me all about it, Nat."

...

Well, I had to tell him sooner or later.

"That cat... was always by my side when I needed him. He would always come to me whether I had food or not. There wasn't a day he wouldn't come if I was around. I remember being down in the dumps during middle school, and I thought about some really horrible things. My parents weren't around a lot and were worried about me all the time. Back then, I was bullied a lot because of how I looked. They thought I looked out of place, with my small body and especially because I smiled."

In an instant, his warm eyes turned cold.

"Out of place? I know kids can get pretty mean but...! Argh... Natsuki that isn't-"

"The case. I know..." I interrupted, happy that he got angry. "I don't think about that at all anymore, thanks to you. You made me love my body the way it is now, ever since we had our first time."

He nodded, allowing me to continue.

"Anyway, the bullying worsened where I stopped caring about anything and stopped anyone from getting close to me. That's why I was so prickly to you at first. Aside from the fact I had a crush on you, I was a little afraid of letting you into my heart. But you weren't around when I was in middle school, were you? So to cope, I always looked forward to feeding that cat whenever I could. It was my highlight of the day of him coming towards food. He would... stay with me until I felt better. And I grateful for that."

Gill gave me or instead of where the cat went a bittersweet smile.

"If this cat was within your darkest hours, why didn't you take him with you whenever you went home? Your parents are the understanding type, right?"

I only shook my head.

"Yeah, they are. But my dad's deathly allergic to cats. If he gets near one, his allergies act up, and it could send him to the hospital. So the best I can do is feed him whenever I can."

He frowned at the bittersweet situation.

"Damn... that sucks. My younger brother is also allergic to cats, so I know what you mean."

I went on to continue with my story.

"There was one time where I didn't want to go to school because of how bad things got. So I ditched school one day and just walked around here, so I burn time. When I was sitting down on a bench, I saw him walk up to me and jump up the bench. He didn't want food this time. All he wanted to do was lie down on my lap and rest. I was on my last legs that die, so I started ranting about how crappy school was. Everything from the bullying and teasing to how the teachers were heartless people with nothing going for them... He was listening because he kept purring from how angry I got. At the end of the day, I felt better, and I decided to go home."

I smiled as I remembered what happened right after that fond memory.

"Things... finally starting looking up. I aced my classes and graduated from middle school. My parents wanted me to go to business school and expand the bakery since they never got the chance to. But it was still my choice too. And I wanted to expand my parent's bakery because baking is my passion. So I took the entrance exam for Ainu and went there. It was hard leaving him behind, but I was glad that he was still around even when I wasn't there to feed him. It's all because of him that I was able to get this far. If he wasn't around, I don't think we would have met again, Val."

Gill was speechless for a couple of seconds.

He took a deep breath and hugged me, something that surprised me.

"Sorry, Nat. I was thinking about how things would be if we didn't meet. I was thinking about how things were different would be if we didn't meet again. I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to you if not for that cat. I'm thankful that he came around and helped you out a dark spot. And now... I hope that I can do the same thing he did soon."

I hugged him back.

"Baka... you already did the same thing. If you weren't here right now, I don't think I would be this happy. It's because of you that I finally learned to love myself. And you love me, something I... I am so grateful for. So, keep your chin up. OK?"

We hugged and kissed for a while before going back into the shop.

* * *

It's been a couple of months ever since I agreed to train with Natsuki's father.

Lots of things have changed since then.

I picked up on some baking lessons from both Sakura and Natsuki while I trained with Yamato.

In my free days, Natsuki and I would go on dates, but we haven't really been able to let loose since her parents watched us like hawks.

But even then, I was happier than ever, and the same can be said for my girlfriend.

Looks like Yamato was right. This would make us both happy.

We are almost like a married couple right now, albeit with some restrictions here and there.

My first anniversary when Natsuki was right around the corner, with the summer heat finally coming in full blast.

Right now, we were taking a break, or I was taking a break from the training.

I sat down on the grass, desperately trying to catch my breath from her father's demands.

"Come on, son. I can't sit around all day waiting for you. We still have a bit of work to do, especially since we didn't go last week." He groaned while crossing his arms.

Oh yeah, he calls me "son" now.

I guess that means he accepts me as part of his family, compared to how it was before.

Now I really can't afford to mess up or give up.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. The summer heat is really starting to tax on me. It was a little more bearable in the winter and spring, but with the sun beating on me, I feel my calories pour out." I mumbled.

He chuckled on sat across from me.

"Ah, right. I forgot you haven't trained in the heat. If you were in Okinawa right now, you wouldn't last a second. There the summer will scorch your skin off. Anyway, I'll give a little longer to get a breather."

With that, I collapsed onto the grass and sighed heavily.

My body was finally starting to recover, but I can feel my resolve weakening a little.

Damn this summer heat...

Right now, I want to under a kotatsu with the fan running while eating some tangerines.

I know I shouldn't be thinking that and focus my mind on training as much as possible, but still...

Maybe I need to take a break.

I have been doing this routine for a couple of months straight from Fall to Spring, and now with Summer coming around, I think I am at my breaking point.

"Hey, kid? You haven't fallen asleep, have you?"

I waved my hand in the air to dissuade him otherwise.

"Nah... I don't know how much I longer I can do this in this damn heat." I muttered, unsure if he heard me.

Come on, me.

I just need to push myself a little more.

"Hrm... I didn't think it would be this bad. Val, be honest with me, are you actually tired right now?" He asked, genuinely concerned with my health.

I groaned and pushed myself up, trying to pump myself and steel my will.

"No, no! I am fine! I can keep going!" I reassured.

He looked me in the eye and sighed.

"Jeez... your body can't keep up, Kid. You're pushing yourself way too hard. Even if we do get past this for the day, your body's gonna break down the next day. So we will keep it light for now." Yamato stated.

I shook my head and tried to get up, but I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.

"You aren't getting the message, are you?" He asked with a serious tone. "Stop overexerting yourself. Training will be meaningless if your body breaks down, and it will take longer than it should get back on track. And besides, you're gonna make Natsuki worry. You don't want that, do you?"

...

Damn.

He is right, this is the same exact situation I was in back when I slept over at Natsuki's home almost a year ago.

I pushed my body way too far by shielding her from the torrent and trying to sleep in a kotatsu.

She was crying and was scared of how much I was pushing my body.

Rightfully so, I think I had a minor fever and cough that I managed to sleep off.

Were it not for her, I would have set up the kotatsu, and I would have gotten sick.

...

I have a really bad tendency to not look after myself, huh?

But I can't help it.

Sometimes I can get way too ambitious and push myself to the very limits without realizing it.

I'm grateful that I got friends like Monika and the guys from stopping me from taking things too far.

And I'm grateful that I got Natsuki as my girlfriend, who would stop me from even thinking about it.

We haven't been spending a lot of time together since things have gotten busier.

But maybe we can have a day off with just the two of us.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, Yamato. I'll take it easy right now, then."

He nodded at me approvingly, so I sat back down on the grass again.

"Something tells me that you trained by yourself when I wasn't around during the days where we didn't go out. Val, those days were just for you to take it easy, not break your own body!" The veteran scolded. "By taking those days easy, your body would be able to keep up with the progress we are doing!"

I couldn't help but rub the back of my head sheepishly.

"Jeez, sorry... I didn't mean to disrespect the break days at all, Yamato. I really didn't. I thought you were busy with helping the store and all since it was originally the days you worked."

He frowned at me as if understanding where I am coming from.

"That's true, I am supposed to work today with Sakura, but Natsuki's been taking over my spot. I worked on the break days since it isn't as taxing as this. But in any case, whenever we have break days, I want you to relax hard. Not work yourself to the bone, got it?"

Hehe...

I know I am supposed to feel embarrassed or pitiful since he's scolding me, but I can't help but feel a little happy.

It's strange, a year ago I wouldn't see this man as another father figure.

But now, I realized how much I value his advice and his watchful eye.

"Got it, Dad," I replied with a smirk. "I won't beat myself over the break days."

And during these times, I like to tease him by calling him, dad.

Besides that, when he offered to give me ginger ale instead of sake, he would get all tsundere on me if I called him that.

Unfortunately for me, he got used to it relatively quickly.

"Mm. That's what I want to hear. Since we are going to keep things light, we might as well stay here. There isn't any good cooling in that old house."

He got up and walked up to the fridge, where he kept energy drinks and tea.

Hmm...

If we are keeping things light, then I kind of learn more about him.

That way, I might get to know what happened in my dad's past.

Now I realize it, Dad never really talked about his time in the police force much, besides the fact that he went here for a joint mission with the SAT forces.

Yamato turned around with drinks in hand and tossed me an energy drink to replenish some electrolytes.

"Since we're here, I figured that we talk about some stuff. You mind?"

I shook my head at his request.

"Not at all, what's up, Yamato?"

He opened his energy drink and gave me a small smile.

"Thanks. I wanted to talk more about the favor your dad owed me. I think... I think it's time that I come clean with some of the details I held back some months ago. You remember why he owed me a favor, right?"

Speak of the devil, I didn't expect him to go straight to the point.

I cracked open the energy drink.

"Yeah, I do. You said that my dad was saved by you, right? He was caught at gunpoint while trying to bust a gun-trafficking ring, right?"

He was pleasantly surprised by how I remembered that.

"That he was. Once I told him my favor, he gave his all to make it a reality. He was kind of like you, ya know?" He amused. "When he and I were assigned the case of pinpointing the exact location of where the gun-traffickers were, we worked our butts off with any intel we can scrape together."

Yamato had this smile as reminisced, telling me I enjoyed the time my dad and he worked together.

"Now, I heard that he was quite the workaholic back in the U.S, but I didn't believe how many all-nighters he would pull to find them. He was really passionate about his work and would push his body to the absolute limits. The guy always believed in absolute justice and all that—kind of like you, kid. You have Natsuki to get you to take a break every once in a while, but your dad... Wooo, he was super uptight, believe it or not. Would always do work when we were out drinking or partying. The man wouldn't drink a pint of anything or let loose in a party."

I felt my face heat up as I realized how similar I was to my dad.

Jeez...

I never thought dad would be that uptight.

Whenever he came home, my dad would be the calmest and chill parent ever.

"Sounds like dad was a bit of a pain to deal with. Did he warm up to you at all?" I asked.

Yamato laughed at the question.

"Hahaha! He did, but after I saved his life! Instead of me inviting him to do anything, he would invite me everywhere. It's like a switch turned on for him. The man would be unbelievably friendly to be around with, compared to how it was before. Ah, Harold, you son of a bitch..."

Well, I guess my dad was a... kuudere, right?

"So... can you tell me everything about the mission? Or is it classified or something?"

He waved his hand at the last part.

"Nah, the documents weren't classified in the first place. It was publically known, and we both got a good rep taking the traffickers down. But I might as well tell ya how everything went down."

* * *

"This plan isn't going to work that well. I wish we had a little more prep time." Harold mused, putting on a black suit.

I smirked at him, amused by his irritating attitude.

"I mean, hey, you're looking dashing right now. Those guys won't know what hit them." I remarked to which he rolled his eyes. "Besides, this plan is the best we got so far. Go in undercover as a buyer and bust them in the act. As long as you guys stay calm, everything will go alright."

He sighed for the umpteenth time and buttoned his sleeves.

"I'm more worried about the rookie I am going undercover with. The guy's greener than grass, I got a bad feeling that he's gonna break under pressure."

For some reason, I also shared the same gut-wrenching feeling.

It was probably an omen, but I decided to ignore it for the time being.

"Don't worry, if the rookie breaks, I got your back, remember? I'm considered to be the best sniper in my unit, ya know?" I reassured.

Harold gave me an unreadable expression but shrugged.

"Alright, I'll be in your care then. I'm gonna meet up with the rookie and get ready."

His phone rang in his pocket.

"You better pick that up." I teased, knowing it was his wife calling.

The man gave me a faux glare as he headed towards the double doors.

Before he went outside, we met eyes once more.

I nodded him to which he gave one back and left the scene.

My phone rang and picked it up.

It was right on time too.

"Hello?"

I heard a relieved sigh on the other side of the phone, it was none other my wife.

"Yamato, thank goodness I got to you in time. Are you about to do the job?"

As much I didn't want to worry her, I sighed.

"Yeah, I am about to start. Harold's gone with the rookie to the meetup. It's all about to breakdown. How are you feeling right now?"

Sakura recently underwent heart surgery and was now recovering back home.

It was challenging to pay for the operation initially, but Harold decided to chip in a reasonable amount.

In his words, he considered it as: 'Payment for treating him and being a good partner to work with.'

The rest of the money was almost negligible, and it was a success.

"I'm doing fine, Dear. No heart attacks or anything like that. I haven't had one for a couple of weeks now ever since the surgery. The meds are working their charm too."

I sighed at the situation.

"Seriously, I wished the guys had thought of a better time to start the sting, but you know how my boss is and how serious this operation is. Right now, I want to be with you. I'm sorry for making you worry, Sakura."

Her melodic laughter always brought my spirits up.

"Ah, don't worry, Dear. I'll be fine, besides I got something to distract myself with. Natsuki's playing with Val right now, it's awfully cute. You just come home safe, alright? And make sure Harold gets out of it safe too, please?"

I smiled.

"I will, I promise. I'll talk to you after the mission's done."

Sakura gave another sigh.

"OK. I love you. Stay safe."

It was a promise that I will keep no matter what.

"Mm. Love you too."

With that, I hung up and put my phone away.

I got ready with my equipment and met up with my team overlooking the whole deal.

My team was positioned on a top of a building, which was conveniently close to the deal.

I got into the vehicle my team was in, and we were away.

As we got closer and closer, I had the gut-wrenching feeling turned more and more dreadful.

For some reason, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something will go wrong, no matter how I thought about it.

I climbed up the stairs with my sniper on tow and tried to focus on the situation.

"You guys know the drill. Get set up and watch the sting. Wait for the American's signal, and we start firing, while they get their team to mop up. The head wants this done clean and quick." My CO ordered.

We all set up on the roof of the recently abandoned building and adjusted our sights on the deal at hand.

There the goons were watching out for anything suspicious around the area.

We were set up to prevent our scopes from glaring at them so our positions wouldn't get compromised.

A couple of minutes later, Harold and the rookie arrived at the deal.

I fixed my sights on him and his buddy, hoping that they wouldn't give their cover away.

The dreaded feeling in my gut grew. I watched the rookie showing some signs of nervousness as he separated from Harold.

But I had some faith that Harold would think of something to prevent any suspicion.

Harold came to the meeting, wearing a black suit, and carrying a matching briefcase.

Inside the briefcase was filled with money with dye packs fitted, just in case they could pull a fast one on us.

As the two walked up to the goons, they shook hands and started talking.

They had listening devices equipped so we can listen in to the conversation.

"... So you brought that much, eh? Check it." The goon ordered, prompting another to check the money was legit or not.

Once he was done, he gave an all-clear, allowing the transaction to take place.

The guys were equipped with military-grade weapons, which were the same guns plaguing the United States.

Harold was one of the guys who tracked the shipments and came here with some of his men to clean the house.

Everything was going fine until we heard a nervous gasp.

My sights readjusted to the rookie, who was visibly getting shakier and shakier.

"I said... do you have the guns, Mr. Akuma?" He asked.

We knew that he messed up from there.

Harold and the rookie were briefed on the thugs, but they were under no circumstances were to speak their names.

"Wait a minute... How the hell do ya know mah name?" He asked, obviously suspicious.

Harold and the goon looked over to the transaction on the other side.

I gripped my rifle and loosened my muscles.

Knowing the operation was about turn bust, I sighted my scope on the thug, getting more and more suspicious.

"A-Are you selling me weapons, Mr. Akuma?" The rookie asked.

He shook his head, trying to process the information in front of him.

"Stop... stop... I don't like dis at all. Deal's off. This guy's actin' funny."

The other goon Harold, was talking to started walk closer and closer to him.

"Your friend over there knows my associate's name. Do you know mine?"

The guy who checked the money was know training his sights on Harold.

"They're burnt. Taking the guy with the rifle trained on him." I declared.

"Clear. Go right ahead." My CO stated overlooking the situation.

Before the thug can say another word, I took the shot.

The gun dropped to the floor, causing the man to jump.

"FUCK! It's a sting!"

Two more shots rang out, saving the rookie from certain death.

With the snipers going out, the American team went in. It swarmed the scene, arresting the criminals in the surrounding area.

Knowing that there was no way out, the leader pulled out a sidearm from his suit and pointed at Harold.

"Shit." I heard him mutter.

Harold put his hands on the back of his head as the man approached him from behind.

"Listen up! This guy's gonna get a little bullet in his head if you guys get closer!" He warned, now taking Harold in a chokehold.

I stayed calm and kept my sights trained at him.

The man was obviously panicking, with him moving his head erratically.

Because of that, he was a difficult target.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists," I muttered to myself.

However, there was a pause before he started turning his head again.

After seeing him do that twice, I recognized the pattern.

"I got a shot." I declared.

I fired the bullet, hitting him.

Harold got down immediately after that as if his legs gave out.

The team immediately jumped into action and got Harold out of there.

I felt my body slacken once he was safe.

"That was an outstanding shot." One of my coworkers remarked.

I shook my head jokingly.

"That's why I'm the best."

The operation was mostly a success, aside from the fact the rookie messed up.

We were able to salvage by taking down most of the criminal enterprise, but there were still some remnants.

Even then, since the mission was a success, we decided to celebrate.

Instead of me usually coming over to Harold's desk, he came towards me.

"Hey." He greeted.

I gave him a curt nod and greeted back.

"Mm."

He took a seat near my desk and took a deep breath.

I knew what he was here for.

"Thanks for saving me back there, Yamato. I can't thank you enough."

I waved at him and went back to work.

"Yeah, it's a part of the job, Harold. Don't mention it."

He stood up and put his hand on my desk, looking serious.

"No, I mean it. Thank you, if you hadn't taken the shot there, I bet your guys would have shot through me. Deborah's got enough worrying about doing with me doing this job, so... Thank you, Yamato. If there's anything that you need help with, then I will do whatever it takes to get it done, believe me." He declared.

I was taken back from how intense and serious he was.

"Jeez, Harold. I didn't think you would be that serious about this. You already have done enough. You saved my wife's life by chipping in the cash for the surgery. Were it not for you, then Natsuki wouldn't have a mother to grow up with."

He shook his head.

"You guys like to take humility to another level, seriously. It's because you're my friend, Yamato. And... I don't want your kid to grow up without a mom. Trust me, I know how that feels. Given how my son talks about your wife, putting up that much cash isn't much. Besides, I owed you for all the drinks and the company you gave me. This, however, is something different. Were it not for you, I don't know what would happen to Deborah or Val."

This was the first time he called me his friend.

Because of that, I felt humbled.

* * *

"I understand. All I ever want is my family to be happy, so if I decide to call in a favor from you, it's going to be that."

* * *

"So... that's what happened. No wonder dad didn't want to talk about it." I muttered, vocalizing my thoughts. "He didn't want to talk about how close he was losing mom, Michael, or me."

Yamato smirked as he rounded the corner.

"Yep, he cares a lot about you guys. Everything he did back at the station was for you guys to live comfortably. I'm glad he got a break and got a desk job." He stated while keeping his eyes on the road.

We were going home early since we did enough training before my body decided to give out.

Hehe, Cupcake's going to be surprised to me being home early.

Yamato told me to keep things easy for today and tomorrow. The following day, I'm going to be helping around the store.

So I was thinking we go on a date tomorrow to ease my body and soul.

We entered the garage, and I said my goodbyes since he would start doing his usual maintenance with his vehicle.

As I walked down the street, I saw a pinkette carry a box that was almost the size of her.

Natsuki...

To surprise her, I decided to sneak behind her.

She obviously had no idea that I was here now, so she had her guard down.

Once I was close, she noticed a looming shadow form over her, causing me to take her in her arms.

"AAH!" She squealed as I hugged her, careful not to crush the box in front of her.

I felt her soft body melt into me as we hugged, but I felt Natsuki tense up and push me off.

She took a second to see who her attacker was and her hot pink eyes darting all over my smirking face.

Cupcake sighed heavily once she realized it was me.

Like clockwork, she punched me the gut, knocking the wind out of my system.

"DON'T YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT, BAKA!" She screeched, obviously upset from my startling presence.

I coughed a little before chuckling to myself.

"Sorry, sorry! I just had to do it. Think of it as revenge for smacking my butt for 'good luck' or whatever."

She puffed out her cheeks.

"It's not my fault you have America's ass! Anyway, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be training with Papa?"

Her pink eyes noticed something was up with my body.

Before I can say something, she heaved a heavy sigh.

"Not this again..." She muttered. "I thought I told you to take it easy, Dear."

My eyes widened from her deductive reasoning.

"Wait, what? How did you..."

She crossed her arms and looked at me disappointingly.

Hey...

This is the second time I have been looked at like that!

It kinda hurts.

"I know because I love you, you dolt. We spent a lot of time together, and I can tell you something is up with your body. Your body is missing the confident and calm vibe it usually has." She analyzed.

...

To have someone know me that well already is well...

Flattering.

My heart feels a little fuzzy now because of her.

This feeling of being understood by someone you love is amazing.

"Yeah... I pushed myself too hard. Yamato picked up on it too, so he forced me to stop training. So that's why I'm here."

My eyes focused on the cardboard box Natsuki was holding.

"By the way, what's that?" I asked. "Want me to hold it for you?"

For some reason, Natsuki flared up with my question.

"Uhm... uh... it's well... something for a convention. And it's light, so don't worry. I can carry it." She nervously squeaked.

I tightened my gaze at the pinkette.

"Let me guess, it has something to with anime and manga, right? Is it a new shipment of uh... what do they call it? Dungeons?"

She bit her lip.

"You mean doujins. No, it isn't that, but you're right on it being related to anime and manga."

Hmm...

If it ain't books, she has then...

Wait, let me put two and two together.

Has to do with anime and manga, and it is related to a convention...

Ah!

"I think I know what it is!" I declared.

She ducked behind the box to cover her face.

"Fwah! N-N-No, you don't! It's not, no, it's not a-"

"Cosplay dress."

Natsuki whined and continued to hide behind the box.

"Come on, Nat. Are you going to a convention wearing a cosplay?"

She nodded slowly, while still hiding.

"Well... you weren't on planning on going without me, right?" I asked, feeling a little lonely. "I know I am not the biggest fan of your country's animation culture, but... still."

That prompted her to pop out.

"No! No, I was planning on taking you with me, I swear! But... I also wanted to surprise you with the dress I am gonna be wearing." She reassured with a scarlet face. "I wanted you to call me cute while wearing it."

Oh...

I smirked at her.

"That's it? Well, glad we got that sorted out. With that being said, why are you going to cosplay in the convention? I'll try not to laugh or anything."

Natsuki brightened up, with all her traces of being embarrassed now disappearing.

"Oh, oh! It's because I want to try it out for myself! I see everyone doing that, so I figured why not give it a shot? Especially since my..."

She muttered the last part, so I leaned in.

"Especially what...?"

This time instead of being flustered again, she smirked.

"That's a secret, hehe! Look, I want to hang around and show off my cosplay to everyone. Don't you think it will be cute? Maybe I can act out some of the anime concepts with other cosplayers there... I can maybe get my manga signed there and give some ideas to the creators! And also, I think I could... Hey! Stop looking at me as if you're disappointed in me!"

I shook my head out of it.

"Sorry, a force of habit. Well, if you're going because you hyped up to go, then I'll want to come along. I want to see your cosplay in action."

Natsuki bounced from my answer.

"Hehe! Thanks, Val!"

Also, I don't want people coming too close to her for comfort.

* * *

It's been 18 hours since I told Dear about the convention date we were going to have.

I woke up a little early and felt excited to go on a date with Dear.

Lately, we were working a bit too hard.

And I feel like my heart and body can't keep up.

Sure, I might be overworking myself, but it doesn't feel like that.

It's starting to worry me.

What's wrong with my body?

...

I'll worry about it later.

Also, note to self, I have to get some food for the cat today.

I didn't see him yesterday for some reason, so maybe I'll see him today.

This... hasn't happened before.

Maybe he was busy.

Right now, I gotta put this cosplay on!

After Dear and I got home, I put the dress in my closet to put on later.

This specific dress was the signature dress of Miya, one of the Parfait Girls.

It was no secret that she was my favorite girl.

The manga author thought of making her the main girl of the series, but Alice got in the way.

Sure Alice was a good character with a fantastic character arc, but Miya's arc miles better.

The way she slowly warmed up to the main character kind of resembles how Gill and I got together.

At first, Miya hated the MC of the story, Kaito, a lot. Where she would attack him on sight.

But... after Kaito stood up to her and saved her once, her view on the guy changed.

Once her view changed, she fell in love with him.

Obviously, that isn't how I Gill and I got together, we didn't attack at each other, but I sort of warmed up to him before we fell in love with him.

I let out a happy sigh.

That got me wondering...

If Val I didn't get together... would Monika take him away?

Just thinking about it kinda makes my heart hurt...

Especially since Monika still loves him.

What about Yuri?

I haven't heard from Yuri that much ever since Val rejected her for me.

We were pretty close back in Dokisai because we were practically opposites.

And it hurts now that she doesn't talk to me...

Is it because of how awkward things got between us?

Maybe I should make the first move and break the weird ice between us.

As my thoughts grew more and more depressive, I decided to focus on putting on the magic girl's outfit.

The magic girl's outfit was a puffy pink dress with ribbons on the neck, waist, and dark pink heels. The middle of the dress is a pale yellow with a white stripe and red buttons. The waist is a flower-like pattern that has a pink to white fade. And at the edge of the dress, there are three pink diamond shapes with red borders.

Next was white gloves, which had pink trims and pinkish-white knee-high stockings.

Finally was the staff that Miya used, which was base of the staff, was a hot-pink with the top holding a circular clear pink plastic to display the power output.

Once I got the dress on, I looked at myself in the mirror.

Perfect!

Or I should say...

Parfait!

...

...

...

I should get a move on instead of making up dumb puns.

Dear's waiting downstairs with the truck.

I picked up my pink hand-bag, which I slung on my shoulders and went downstairs.

OK, I should have a change of clothes in here and all my books that my favorite manga authors sign!

I'm ready!

As I exited the bakery, I saw Dear leaning against Papa's truck, yawning from early her woke up.

I smirked at him and walked towards my dozing boyfriend.

As payback for scaring me yesterday, I'll wake you up with this staff of mine!

I wasn't going to strike him down with staff, but give his head a light jab.

Steady...

Hah!

As my staff was about to make contact with his head, he woke up and grabbed the staff in flight.

Eh?

He gave me a hostile look and gripped the staff tightly before realizing what he was doing.

"Huh? Ah! Shit, sorry about that, Cupcake. I didn't realize what was going on." Dear apologized. "Wait a minute! You were going to hit me with that!"

I laughed nervously as I hid the weapon behind me.

"Ehehe... Sorry. I wasn't going to hurt you but poke you a little with it."'

He looked at me with deadpanned eyes.

"Poke me by swinging a staff like that?"

My face flushed at my dumb excuse.

"OK, OK, maybe not poke you but hit you lightly. A-Anyway... I'm glad Papa's training is paying off. I think you would have got hit were it not for him."

He scratched the side of his cheek.

"Maybe so, maybe so. Anyway, you're ready to... go...?"

Dear stared at me with dumbfounded eyes.

I raised an eyebrow at his bemused state before I realized he was looking at my cosplay.

And so, I puffed my chest out and put my hand on my hip.

"Hehehe... How do I look?"

Dear rubbed his arm while looking away.

"Jeez, you look incredibly pretty. I can't even take my eyes off you if I get a glimpse at you. I... never thought that the cosplay would work that well!"

I grinned, showing my flashy smile to him.

"Well, since you're my boyfriend, I don't mind! Now let's go, let's go! I want to go to the anime convention!"

He gulped and nodded, getting into the truck.

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!

I knew he would like it!

Dear shifted the gear of the truck and started moving.

He took a deep breath in and out, trying his best to keep his focus on the road.

I wonder how things will go at the convention...

* * *

Shit...!

Come on, me, stay focused!

Yamato will kill me if I total his truck!

But Natsuki really looks beautiful in that magical girl outfit.

Everything about that dress matches well with her hair and eyes.

My heart really can't stop pounding because of it...

And not only that, I noticed her chest started getting a little bigger than before.

Is she going through a growth spurt...?

Watch the road me, damn it!

This all can wait!

Through sheer will, I focused on the road, and unintentionally kept the whole ride awkwardly quiet.

As we got out, I felt Natsuki cling to my arm, causing my heart to almost leap through my mouth.

Her soft pink hair tickled my upper arm, and I smelled the strawberry scent coming from her hair.

"Come on, Dear! The convention already started! I want to gooooo!" She cutely whined.

I didn't say anything and heeded her demand.

As we went in, my eyes imploded by the scene.

Everywhere I looked, there were cosplayers, anime character cut-outs, and stands everywhere.

"Hmm, I expected this place to smell a little... mature. I'm surprised my nose hasn't given out yet."

Natsuki looked at me with a confused look.

I shook my head.

"It's nothing. Don't worry, let's get a move on."

And with that, our convention date started.

The first thing we did was go around the stands Natsuki wanted to go to.

There sat the manga authors signing manga for all those who waited in line.

As we waited in line, there were plenty of people wishing to take a picture with Natsuki.

"Oh, you look soooo cute! You're Miya from Parfait Girls, right?! Right?!" A girl asked, her eyes sparkling like stars.

Natsuki smiled and smugly looked at her.

"Yer right, I am!"

The girl's friend held Natsuki's hands and marveled at them.

"Wow...! The gloves look so authentic! Not only that, but you also hit the hair and eyes really well!"

Natsuki looked at me with a smug look to which I can only nod and smile.

She's obviously getting stronger with the compliments.

"Oh, oh! Can you do Miya's catchphrase?! Please?! We want to take a photo!"

Natsuki nodded and took a deep breath.

"Evil-doers beware! I serve only the Twilight Oath! My justice is swift and just!

She swirled her staff in her hands and pointed towards the girls.

"Parfait Girl Miya is here! Here to spread peace and love!"

...

...

...

I am feeling very conflicted right now.

For starters, that was surreal and looked identical to the show.

But at the same time, it's Natsuki doing that.

I kinda want to cringe but...

...

She did look cute, though.

The two girls squealed from Natsuki's moves.

"That was soooo cute! I can't believe you can do the same way Miya does it!"

"Yeah! Everything was on point! Miya is your favorite character, right?"

Natsuki puffed her chest out and looked proudly at two admirers.

"Of course, she is! Miya is the best girl! She should have been the one to be with Kaito!" She declared.

The two girls looked at her with expectant eyes.

"Yeah!" They both cheered.

The encounter started to wrap up with the girls now beginning to leave.

I let out a small sigh and wrapped my arm around Natsuki.

"You're pretty good at this. And not to mention, you were pretty damn charming when you did that pose thing."

She held my arm and snuggled against it.

"I did the same thing whenever I went up to cosplayers to take pictures. I know what they're looking for most of the time. Also, I had a lot of practice with the Parfait Girl special attack. You should give it a try sometime!"

I chuckled nervously.

"Yeah... I'll let you handle that. I'm good, heh."

She continued to snuggle against my arm.

"Suit yourself, Kaito had a cool looking one, something you might like..."

We got our signatures for Natsuki's manga and moved onto the next thing.

Next up was the exclusive screenings for new anime coming around the corner.

I knew Cupcake was particularly excited for this one since they had decided to remake the remake of the original run of the Parfait Girls anime.

Jeez, at this point, they should just do another take of the series instead of rebranding it every few years.

I mean hey, I get it makes money but doing it repeatedly gets bland right...?

"Whooooa! Gill look! They are showing the remade scene of the Parfait Girls fighting a corrupted Kaito!"

Thanks to Monika forcing me to watch the remake and original Parfait Girls anime multiple times, and Natsuki adding to the damage, I knew what was going to happen.

The scene was a little different in terms of appearance and scenery, but it looked like the special effects were kicked up to make any eyes bleed.

Seriously, how do people watch this?

I must be the only one to actually be in discomfort from all that FX being thrown around.

But as soon as I turned to Natsuki, I saw that she watched the remade scene with awestruck eyes.

That made the discomfort go away.

I mean, if she is enjoying, then it can't be wrong, right?

"This isn't working! We have to use our ultimate attack! Come on, let's do this!"

"3, 2, 1... Rainbow Moon Blitz! GO!"

The screen was covered with a mix of colors, swirling and coalesced into a bright white, bringing down the darkened Kaito to his knees.

OK...

Maybe I spoke too soon.

But still, it isn't bad as I thought it would be.

Once the preview was done, we exited the booth and walked around for a little.

There we went to the other stands and saw what they had to offer before going to the last stop.

Meeting the creator of Parfait Girls...

Hmm, it feels a little ominous and also anti-climatic.

As we walked there, we saw a long line which stretched for a couple of meters.

Natsuki let out an irritated growl.

"Arrrrgh! I thought the line would be cleared out by now! But it looks like it hasn't moved an inch!"

I gripped Cupcake's hand and pulled her to the back of the line.

"Might as well start now. I'll stand here, do you need to go to the bathroom?"

She nodded a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, I do... I'll be back soon!"

And so, I waited in the line for Natsuki.

I went on my toes and looked over to see if the line was about to get less congested.

But instead, I was greeted by a long row of people, particularly girls waiting in line.

...

This is going to take a while, isn't it?

That's just great.

As I waited, I spotted a familiar face walking among the crowds of people in the convention.

Wait, is that...

Hiroshi?

Our eyes met, and he waved at me, so I waved back.

He jogged up to me and gave me a one-armed hug.

"Hey! I didn't expect to see you around here!" He greeted.

I beamed at my friend.

"Well, I expected to see you here sooner or later. How's it going?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes and smiled back.

"I'm doing great, boss. I split up with my friend to get some things done. Seriously, though. I thought you weren't the type of guy to be into this sort of thing."

I shrugged.

"Hehe, hang around a girl like Natsuki for too long, and your perspective changes."

We continued to talk for a bit until Natsuki got back.

Once she arrived, Hiro was mesmerized by the girl's cosplay.

I saw his eyes shift to my girlfriend's chest for a split second, which invoked a strange feeling jealously in me.

Snap out of me.

He's a friend and a guy.

Though I don't exactly approve of him doing that.

Wait, am I getting jealous?

Even then, I gave him a warning glare, to which he caught on.

"That's one hell of a cosplay. Who are you cosplaying as?" He asked.

Natsuki giggled and hugged my arm, catching me off-guard.

"Miya from Parfait Girls! She's my favorite character!"

Hiro then shifted his focus to me.

"You're one lucky guy to get a girl so cute. I'm jealous... Peace, you two. I gotta finish up on my list!"

Just before he left, he mouthed the words "Sorry." catching onto why I was a little annoyed.

With that, I let out a sigh.

"Uh? What's wrong?" Cupcake asked.

I pursed my lips and took a glimpse at my girlfriend's chest.

Damn...

They are getting a growth spurt, aren't they?

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

With that, we waited and bided the time to get the signature we need.

At long last, we finally made it to the Parfait Girl's stand.

Natsuki could barely keep her excitement as she gave her favorite volume to the creator.

The creator of the Parfait Girls looked at Natsuki with widened eyes.

"Oh my... I didn't expect to see my characters come to life." She commented, gawking at my girlfriend.

Cupcake's face flared up a little and shyly looked away.

"T-Thank you, ma'am..." She meekly said, hiding behind my arm.

I see...

"Ma'am, your series made a huge impact on my girlfriend's life. It's because of her that she watches anime and manga. She is a huge fan of your work." I stated, taking the words from Natsuki's mouth.

There's no doubt that she was about to say that, but I guess getting praised by the creator of her favorite series is too much.

The creator was pleasantly surprised.

"Is that so? I'm happy to hear about that. And it shows, the cosplay you've done looks like you came straight out my own drawings... You look just like Miya!"

Natsuki stared at the creator blankly, causing me to nudge her to wake her up.

"Fweh! T-T-Thank you very much!" She thanked while bowing.

The creator gave us a warm smile as she finished signing Cupcake's book, so we left the scene.

As we walked, I felt Natsuki rub her face against my arm.

"T-Thank you..." She muttered.

I patted her hair.

"It's no problem. You're my girlfriend, remember?" I reminded as we walked.

I felt a sharp tug on my shirt, causing me to look at her.

She got on her toes and kissed me before pulling away with a soft smile.

"I love you..." The pinkette whispered.

I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"I love you, too. I would do anything for you."

We went to the other exhibits before we called it a day.

Natsuki took off her cosplay, and we headed towards the truck.

From there, we had a relatively peaceful conversation about our time there.

I parked Yamato's truck in his garage, and we were now walking home.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot to feed him! I didn't get to yesterday since I couldn't find him anywhere... But I think we should find him today!"

Wait, what...?

Natsuki couldn't find the cat yesterday?

That's awfully strange...

I saw the cat always running up to her regardless if she had food on her or not.

What was stopping him yesterday?

For some reason, I felt an ominous feeling in my gut.

Why do I feel so uneasy all of a sudden?

Is there something about to happen?

As we walked towards the area where the cat usually hangs around, my gut blared warnings.

"Where is he today...?" She murmured while looking around for him.

I gripped Cupcake's hand tightly, feeling a little uneasy about the whole situation.

She unconsciously did the same.

We sat down on the bench and waited for the cat to arrive.

I need to calm down a little.

Maybe I am just overreacting, that's all.

After a half-hour of waiting, Natsuki started to get impatient.

"Agggh! I can't take much more of this! We'll just stop by his hiding place, come on!"

She then grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to the alley where the cat lived.

My gut screamed at me to stop her and get away from here.

This is not good...

Something is definitely up.

I can feel my hair standing on itself right now.

The alley was narrow and decrepit, the perfect place for any strays to live in.

"Let's look for him. Maybe he's asleep," I suggested, now separating from her.

She gave me a curt nod and looked around for the cat.

I took the chance to look around carefully, checking every nook and cranny for the cat.

Alright, gut feeling...

Show me what you were dreading to show me.

I followed my gut feeling and slowly approached a small cardboard box.

The box showed apparent signs of wear and tear, but it was still relatively intact.

My heart was beating against my chest, and I could hear my heartbeat.

I felt my hands starting to sweat uncontrollably.

This is fear...

Why am I so scared now?

I knelt down and looked in.

My heart stopped once I realized what I was looking at.

Oh...

Oh, no...

The cat was severely injured, with visible bite marks on its body and head.

He's black fur was stained with dried blood and shedding.

The cat's bony structure was mangled up to unnatural contortions.

It was a sight that will horrify anyone.

The cat was fighting off a dog...

He won but at the cost of...

This.

He was still twitching around, so I decided to do what was best.

Even I can tell he... isn't going to make it, also if we get to the vet in time...

I laid my hand on the cat and patted it gently, comforting him in his last moments.

The cat slacked with my touch.

"Dear? What's wrong?" Natsuki asked.

...

She can't see this.

I stood up and turned around.

Her pink eyes searched my face and realized something was definitely wrong.

"W-What's wrong? W-Why are you so pale right now...?"

It didn't take long for her to fit the pieces together.

"No... No... NO!"

She ran towards me, but I blocked her.

"LET GO! LET GO! I HAVE TO SEE WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM!" She screamed.

I kept a serious face and looked at her.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

She nodded vigorously, her eyes threatening to leak tears.

I closed my eyes and let her through.

"Hah...!"

I opened them to see Natsuki looking at him with baffled eyes.

The tears flowed down her cheeks.

A hand went up to her left breast as if trying to hold something in.

"He... can't die... not like this...! I know! He'll get better if he eats something!"

She hurriedly pulled the bag of treats she bought for him and pulled out a biscuit.

The pinkette broke off a small piece and placed it on her finger.

"Here you go... Please eat up!"

He reacted lethargically, sticking out his tongue and licking her finger.

Her finger grew sticky and was painted red with blood.

Natsuki looked to me with a desperate smile.

"See! See! H-He's going to get better! I-I know he is! He's strong!" She assured.

I knew it was a hopeless attempt to ease the inevitable.

There's nothing to stop what's going to happen.

If I lie and go along with her words, it will only end in more pain.

"Take him in your arms, Natsuki."

Her face contorted in pain but complied.

"Why... Why did this have to happen? Who did to you...? What kind of monster would hurt you...?!"

He let out a small, dull meow.

"Eh...? A-Are you feeling better? Are you?!"

She turned to me with hopeful eyes.

"Val, he is gonna going to be better, see?! See! His eyes are glowing up!"

The cat let out another dull meow, coughing up the blood and saliva building up inside him.

I knew the lights in his eyes were starting to fade away.

And so, I reached out to him and gently laid my hand on the dying cat.

"Please don't go... Please... Don't leave me..."

With one final meow, much stronger than the last two, he extended his forelegs straight and falls slack.

...

...

...

"NOOOOOOO!"

The pain she was holding finally burst.

She held the dead cat in her arms and hugging, hoping it would come back somehow.

Her body broke down into hysterical sobs.

I only knew the cat for a little while...

But Natsuki knew him for a long time.

He was her friend in her darkest times.

And now he was gone...

"Natsuki... give him to me."

She continued sobbing, evident that she didn't hear me.

"Natsuki."

Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears and pain.

"NO! NO! WHY DO YOU WANT HIM?! ARE YOU GOING TO BURY HIM?!" She screamed.

I can only look at her calmly.

"Yes, I am," I answered. "So, please."

She growled at me but surprisingly gave me the little cat.

I took him in and placed him inside his home.

After that, I took the box in my arm and pulled Natsuki up.

"Come on. We're going home."

She didn't protest at all.

The trip home was deathly silent.

Once we were there, both of her parents rushed towards, but I put a hand up to stop them.

I motioned Yamato to come towards me, and I gave him the box.

"Take this and bury it at your old house," I whispered, hoping Natsuki didn't hear. "It's important to her."

He gave me an affirmative nod and took off.

"I'll close up shop. Go to your room." Sakura ordered, rushing over to the door.

I carried the hiccuping girl up the stairs, washed her up, and opened the door to my room.

She walked over and sat down my bed.

"Do you want any water?" I asked, taking off her shoes and socks.

She shook her head.

I helped take off the rest of her clothes. Fortunately, she had her pajamas on, so I stopped there.

Natsuki rubbed her eyes, still red from crying.

"Do you want anything..."

Before I can finish my sentence, Natsuki winced in pain, clutching her left breast again.

"Aggh...! Ghhhh!" She groaned as she struggled to breathe.

My eyes widened at this.

"Natsuki?! What's wrong?!" I yelled.

But as soon as I yelled, she shook her head.

"It's nothing." She mumbled. "Just a little heartburn."

I let out a relieved sigh.

"OK, you scared me there. You must be exhausted, so sleep."

She looked at the distance without any emotion.

"Sleep with me... Please. I'm scared."

It was a given that I was going to sleep next to her.

"I was planning to."

With that, I changed to my pajamas.

I took glimpses at Natsuki, with her merely looking out at a distance.

She's going through a whirlwind of thoughts...

The least I can do is comfort her.

Once I was done changing, I got into the bed and pulled Natsuki towards me.

She stared at my chest for a while before closing her eyes.

In an instant, she clung to me and wailed painfully.

I felt her tears stain my shirt, but I didn't care.

It's the least I can do.

She cried and cried until she fell asleep.

And so, I held her tight.

"I won't ever die on you, Natsuki. I promise."

From there, I fell asleep with her, praying she would recover from this.

* * *

Today was the day we got together a year ago.

I still feel terrible about what happened a week ago.

My heart heavier, but not in the metaphorical sense, but it physically feels a little difficult to breathe.

Working for too long tires me out completely. I can't help out in the bakery for too long, but fortunately, my parents understand.

I chalked it up as grief, but I am still having doubts about that.

But anyway, my body seems to be recovering a little.

It helped that my boyfriend doted on me while I was depressed.

He made sure that I didn't push me too hard, was kind, kept a steady eye on me at all times, and, best of all, let me sleep in his bed.

I was making a bento, filling it up with all of Dear's favorite foods.

This bento was more of a breakfast than lunch.

It's the least I can do for being so down in the dumps.

Sure, I am a little sad, but it wasn't like it was a few days ago.

As I packed in his favorite foods, I took a deep breath in, which some strange reason gave me a twinge of pain in my chest.

Gah, it wasn't this bad before!

I thought I was getting better!

Come on, I have to make this day worth it!

After all, it's the anniversary when Val and I got together!

I slapped myself on the cheeks and woke up.

OK!

I can do this!

With a burst of energy, I focused and finished making a small lunch for both of us.

After that, I went to Val's room and jumped into his bed.

I expected my chest to hurt a little, or my body felt slow, but I didn't feel like that.

Hehe, must be because of how tired I was.

My body feels like it's about to break open with raw energy!

Dear groaned and rose up from his bed.

"Aggh... What the heck, Nat? It's still... a couple of hours before our anniversary date. Are you really that excited?" He mused, rubbing his afflicted stomach.

I couldn't help but giggle at him.

"Come on, Dear! Today's the day we got together, so we have to spend all of our time with each other! That's how the rules work!"

He blinked for a few seconds but massaged the bridges of his nose.

"What rules? Argh, you know what? I can't go back to sleep anyway. Let' s have this date." Dear muttered, while stretching.

I gave him one of my smiles; he loved so much and clung onto him.

He sighed at this.

"Hey, Nat. Can you let go of me? I want to wash up and change clothes."

I playfully frowned at his demands.

"Aww...! I don't want to spend a single second apart from you!"

Dear tried to pull me off, only for me to stubbornly hold onto him.

"Argh! Fine, you can stay right beside me, I don't have the strength to pull you off, right now."

That's good enough, I guess.

I reluctantly got off him but decided to surprise him.

With my teeth bared out, I dove in and bit him on the neck.

I sank my teeth into his flesh, relishing how warm his neck was.

"Ah! S-Shit! N-Not right now!" He begged, helpless from biting.

Once I made my mark, I pulled away with a smile.

"Hey, I had to do it just in case. You're getting more and more attractive thanks to all that training you're doing. And I don't want a bunch of girls hitting on you, like last time, you Baka!"

He frowned and rubbed his bite mark.

"It's not my fault that I look like this! I was born with it! And I swear, it has to be pretty weird for random girls I have never met to even hit on me!" Dear defended, now standing up.

He hissed in pain and stood still, wasting precious seconds of our date.

And so, I smacked him on the butt for good measure.

"Ack! Hey! Stop smacking my butt!"

I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out playfully.

"I will if you get ready! So get a move on!"

He rolled his eyes and moved to wash up and change.

Once he arrived back, he told me to go downstairs.

As expected, I resisted.

"No!"

He mellowed and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Please? I know it's a little weird, but can you?"

Why does he need me to go downstairs?

Does he not want me in his room...?

Is it because he has a secret?

"Fine, fine. I will go downstairs. But you better hurry up. I want to spend this entire day with you." I said as I went down.

I wonder what the secret is.

Oh!

Is it the same secret he wanted to give to me when he moved a couple of months back?

Uuuu!

I wonder what it is!

My body couldn't hold in the excitement I had.

I exited the bakery, still feeling a little jittery from the morning.

Before long, I saw my boyfriend exit the bakery with a light blue hoodie, black t-shirt, and khaki shorts.

He saw me and gave me his usual dorky smile.

"Hey, there. You're still feeling hyper, huh?"

I put my hand on my hip and smirked.

"Of course, we have this to ourselves, and not to mention it's special!" I sparked.

He chortled from my vigor.

"I hope I can match your power level, heh. Let's go."

In contrast to our first date together right after we got together, Dear took my hand.

I squeezed his hand tightly, and he pressed back.

"Since we have some time to kill, want to do some those anime troupes you love doing?"

That's right!

I'm working on my manga as a side project, but...

I think I moved on with my manga, but it doesn't hurt to release it when it's done.

Besides, I don't think it would be that popular anyway.

And...

I looked up to my boyfriend's relaxed, but happy face.

I'm happy with that.

"Sure! Let's do some! It can't hurt to do some research, right?"

And so, I dragged him to the nearby park.

There we sat down on a bench, and I took out a bento for the both of us to eat.

Dear was confused with this setup.

"Uh... we're eating lunch now? So, I'm guessing the troupe where we feed each other?"

I grinned, impressed that he caught on quickly.

"Yep! I thought we could eat this for breakfast since it's light and all."

The bento box wasn't that big, so it could pass us breakfast anyway.

He shrugged and tried to open the box, only for me to swat his hand out of the way.

"Ow! Hey!"

I glared at him.

"Hey, I'll open it for you! The guy never opens the box under certain situations! And that hasn't happened yet!"

For the second time today, he blinked a few times before shaking himself awake.

"What a weird concept..." He mumbled to himself as he looked away.

And so, I opened the box revealing the foods that my boyfriend loved.

His eyes caught the sight of the foods, and he gasped.

"W-Whoa...! You made all this? The food looks amazing! It looks like the cooking classes have paid off, huh?"

I couldn't help but flare up from compliment.

It's true. Whenever Val and I didn't have to handle the register, we would teach others some culinary skills.

Since we lived together, learning was much faster. We didn't have to worry about time as much as before.

This is the cumulative effort of a year's worth of lessons.

Now it's up to the taste test.

"Hey, wait a minute, how did you know which foods to pack? I don't think I told you my favorite foods." He asked.

I puffed my chest out and smirked.

"Easy, I knew because I love you!" I declared.

...

...

...

Val didn't buy into it.

"Alright, who told you? Out with it."

I tapped my fingers nervously.

"A-Alright, alright! It was both Monika and Hiroshi. They helped me out. Monika helped with what you liked when you were kids, and Hiro helped with what you like right now."

My boyfriend nodded, understanding.

"Now, that makes a little more sense. Anyway, let me get a taste test ready."

My hands started to sweat a little from the tension.

"Start with the teriyaki chicken, I know I did that well. No! Wait, go for the salad! Nevermind, go for the-!"

He put his fingers up to my lips to stop my babbling.

"Calm down, will ya? You're doing the freaking about food troupe a little too well, for lack of better words. Natsuki, I know you did well. You're a much better cook than I am, remember?"

I pursed my lips to a small frown.

"Yeah, but you're the one who's the most experienced. It's like the student going up against the mentor."

To stop me from muttering anymore, he plopped a teriyaki chicken into his mouth and chewed.

My world stopped as he took the piece to his taste buds.

He closed his eyes and chewed thoroughly, making sure to savor the taste.

Please be good, please be good, please be good!

Once he was done chewing, he gulped and opened his eyes.

"This is way better than expected." He said with a dorky smile. "Though I will have to admit the meat is little too tender for my tastes, and the sauce is a little uneven. But these are my own tastes, everyone has their own. And not to mention bonus points for making it yourself. You get a 90/100."

I pumped my arms in the air in victory.

"Yay! I did it!" I cheered.

As I cheered, I sensed he was trying to eat another one, and so I smacked his hand off the merchandise.

Not so fast!

I am not letting you eat another without me!

"Ow! Hey! What are you bipolar?! Can a man eat another?" He insulted, secretly impressed by his sharp-tongue.

I pulled the bento away from him and picked up a piece of the chicken with the pair of chopsticks.

"Only if you let me feed you! Heehee!"

He rolled his eyes at this.

"Fine, fine. Give it here."

Val moved his face closer to me so he can be fed.

As the chicken got closer and closer, he closed his eyes.

He looks soooo cute!

And to make things cuter, I ate the chicken.

Dear opened his eyes and was confused.

He saw me thoroughly chewing instead.

"Gh! Are you serious?"

I couldn't help laugh from his cute frown.

"Hey, you rated this a bonafide 90 out of 100, so it has to be good! It's not my fault you made it so... irresistible to eat!" I defended.

Instead of putting up another retort, he smirked.

"Alright, fine, if you say so."

Wait, what?

No snappy comeback?

Oh, he's definitely planning something, but I have no idea what.

And so, I observed him, waiting for any surprise attacks.

But it never came.

He rested his back against the bench and looked at the park's scenery, aloof from my piercing eyes.

And that, for some reason, made me nervous.

I don't like this...

Since was he so... careless?!

I decided enough was enough.

"Alright, alright! I won't pull something like that again! Now, look at me!" I demanded.

He looked to me as if trying to hold in his laughter.

"Pfff... All I did was stay quiet for a few seconds, and this is what happens? Never thought patience would have such a payoff." He teased.

From there, I realized what he was doing.

Argh!

He got me!

I puffed my cheeks out.

"This was all a trick to bully me?! Damn it! Well, played!" I begrudgingly praised.

That was the trigger for Val to laugh his heart out.

When I saw him so happy, I knew it was worth it.

It's gotten to the point if he's happy then I am happy.

Our feelings are the same.

Is this...

Is this what it means to have a soulmate?

Because it feels like it.

"Here, have another piece." He offered, picking it up with the sticks.

Dear leaned in and took a bite.

"Yep, I definitely like how much you improved, Nat. Good work." He complimented.

I was still feeling a little petty from his trick, so I decided to take a bold move.

Once he gulped the food down, I took the final piece and plopped it in my mouth.

He pursed his lips to a frown.

"Aw... I wanted to have the last piece."

I grinned at this.

"Who said you weren't getting it?"

He raised an eyebrow but raised both when he saw me leaning in.

"W-Wait!"

I didn't give him a chance.

There I delivered the piece in my mouth to his with my tongue.

He chewed a little and then gulped it in.

After that, I forced a kiss out of him, pushing my tongue against his.

It didn't last for long as he pulled away.

He was taking deep breaths and was surprised by my audacity.

"W-What the hell, Nat?!"

I laughed at his baffled reaction.

And so, we continued to eat in the park with the early morning breeze.

* * *

Once we were done with our pseudo-lunch for breakfast, we decided to burn the calories off by heading to the arcade.

I'm glad that Natsuki is keeping her mind off things.

She was really down when her cat died.

And now, it looks like things are starting to go back to normal.

I don't think I will understand the pain of losing a pet since I never owned one.

But given how close the two were, I think it would be an unbelievable pain.

And it just wasn't fair...

It wasn't fair that her cat was taken away like that.

Every time she was down, I felt a little helpless.

I always thought about alternative scenarios where we could save her cat, but there was no point.

What's happened has happened.

As much as I wanted to cope by thinking that time will always move forward.

Time moving forward...

It's all we dread but also something we want.

How weird...

"I can't wait to see if the dance simulator got some new songs! If they did update it, then I am gonna crush the high scores."

I couldn't help but eye the pinkette's competitive nature.

Yep, whenever she gets fired up, she turns into a mini Monika.

"So... I'm guessing we are playing the dancing sim, right?" I nervously asked.

Natsuki smirked, showcasing her signature fang off.

"Of course, we are! Why? You scared~?! I'll have you know, I'm pretty good at these games! We had a dance simulator back near Ainu Academy, and I would always get the top scores there! This is nothing different!"

I nodded a little intimidated by her probable bluff.

"A little bit, yeah. You're much more experienced at this than I am, so why wouldn't I be? And didn't I say I am absolutely horrendous at games like these?" I admitted.

She groaned at my honest answer.

"Blah. You sound so boring...! Come on, I'll play at the hardest difficulty while you play the easiest difficulty, how does that sound?"

I guess that works...?

"Sound a little fair. Especially since I am a horrible dancer too. Let's get started."

I put into two coins in, and Natsuki selected the song we were going to dance to.

"Hmph, there aren't new songs. Whatever, even if you're playing at the easiest difficulty, I can still win with my eyes closed! Watch!"

Oh fuck.

What have I gotten myself into?

"Please tell me you're bluffing," I asked, hoping she was genuinely doing so.

Instead, she didn't answer me and closed her eyes.

Well, I am about to lose spectacularly.

Might as well watch her go.

Instead of playing, I leaned against the rail and watched her.

"3... 2... 1... Start!"

And so the music started playing.

Without missing a beat, she stepped on the correct beat from the start and moved around perfectly.

She hopped and turned, hitting each beat with precision.

It was obvious she had done this a hundred times before.

Natsuki hummed the beat of the song as she danced, hitting the notes without a care in the world.

My world started to slow down from how she was dancing to the beat.

This is...

This is precisely what happened when it was raining a year ago.

Everything slowed down, and I saw beautiful Natsuki is.

Instead of her short twin-tails gliding in the wind, now it's her shoulder-length hair flowing freely around her.

Her body also has developed a little more since then, especially in her chest area.

I know that she got a growth spurt there, but I have no idea how that happened.

Not only that, but she is also starting to look curvier and curvier.

Coupled with the fact that I am falling in love more and more every day, I...

I can't wait to be with her forever when I make my vow.

The score was starting to rack quickly with how she was accumulating points with her scorestreak.

She activated her star power to boost her already impressive score.

Given how flawlessly she was doing without caring to open her eyes, a crowd started to form around her.

It looked like she was going to beat the arcade's high score by a couple hundred thousand points.

The end of the song was approaching. She turned around, struck a pose, opening her eyes to the screen.

She moved her heel to hit the last note, finishing the song.

And just as I thought, the score is way above the arcade's high score.

The crowd behind gave a small round of applause, startling the pinkette.

"Eh?" She let out baffled by the crowd as they started to disappear.

Natsuki turned to me for an explanation.

I shrugged.

"Cupcake, given the way you crushed the simulator with your eyes closed, people will be impressed. What did ya expect?" I asked rhetorically.

She looked at the high score, surprised by the sheer number.

"Wow... I didn't think my score would be that high!"

As she scrolled through the scores, she was the new number one score in the arcade for that song.

"Hehehe! That song was a piece of cake! I can do other songs! Watch me!"

I widened my eyes from this.

"Wait, what? Aren't we going to the other machines...? Hey! Stop putting in another song!"

The girl didn't listen to me at the slightest.

And so we spent the noon playing the dance simulator and barely touching upon the machines I was good with.

But I was fine with that.

Since we played for a while, our stomachs were growling.

I felt a small tug on my shirt, so I turned to her.

Natsuki pointed towards a buffet and turned to me with puppy eyes.

"Hey... I want to go to that buffet! Can we?! Can we?!" The pinkettee asked, clearly excited.

I simpered at her excitement.

"I mean, we are both hungry, so we might as well, right? And besides, it's hard saying no to a cute girl like you."

She gave me a vibrant smile as we went inside.

But before we went in, I took a glimpse of the buffet's name.

"Sugar Heaven...?"

Why does that sound something straight of an 18+ novel?

I took a close look around the place and saw it was completely packed, primarily by women.

We had to wait for a little place to clear up, so we sat down on the waiting seats.

And so, I took a closer look at my surroundings.

Cakes, sweets, and other baked goods everywhere.

This is a girls' dream.

"I... I think I'm gonna get heartburn and diabetes from looking at this place." I muttered.

Natsuki playfully smacked my arm.

"Oh, you'll be fineeee~! I'm not that hungry, so we will be in and out in no time!"

I gave her a deadpan look and sighed.

Yeah, right... Even I know we aren't going to leave in one piece.

I'm pretty sure the girls of the literature club would love to come here and pig out.

Natsuki is no different, and since she is a baker who loves sweets, I doubt we are going to leave anytime soon.

My girlfriend was pretty giddy about all this.

"Hehehe! I always wanted to come here, but my parents worry about their bodies too much to even come close here! Now, I can have a buffet of my dreams~!"

Hmm...

Cupcake's thinking it's going to be Christmas soon at this rate.

Well, since she is so happy, I might as well look on the bright side.

I'll be eating a lot of sweets and see Natsuki chow down with a smile...

...

...

...

That's it.

That's all there is to it.

A clerk came to us, conveniently cutting my depressive brooding short.

"Thank you for waiting. Welcome to Sugar Heaven, allow me to guide you to your seats."

Once she guided us there, I sat down and relaxed.

Natsuki wasn't even near me, as she went straight to the buffet instead.

Jeez... She really is gonna pig out, huh?

I got up and picked out an iced coffee along with three cakes.

When I came back to the table, Natsuki still wasn't there.

She's taking her time...

"Hehehe! I'm so gonna clean this aisle clean! There's soooo many to choose from! This is amazing...! Which ones should I go for first?!" I heard Natsuki buzz.

I looked to her and saw her plate was filled to the brim with different pieces of cakes, but she was still trying to pile up as much as she can.

Her eyes widened at something.

"Whoaaa! There's soft cream in here too! I can make my own parfait here!"

I couldn't help but stare at the girl with warm eyes.

Yep, I love it when she is so energetic.

This sort of reminds me of Sayori since they are pretty close.

After a little while, Natsuki came back, holding a plate full of cakes on both hands.

Jeez, Louise!

She sat down and let out an excited squeal.

"Time to dig in! Eh? You haven't touched your cakes yet. Is there something wrong?"

I shook my head.

"I was just waiting for you so we can eat together. And... you really are going all in, huh?" I mused.

She was perplexed by my statement.

"Nah, this is just round one. I'm taking it easy."

...

...

...

So having brownies, chocolate cakes, and a parfait is round one?!

Sweet lord, what's with her sweet tooth, no sweet fang?!

"Anyway, we have two hours! I gotta clean my plate and pace myself!"

I slowly dug my fork into my cake.

"Pacing? What are you going to shove are of them down your gullet or something?" I teased.

She didn't catch on.

"Of course not, Baka! I have an hour to eat these filling cakes first so I can go for the lighter ones!" Natsuki exclaimed.

The sweet fanged maniac took a bite out of the cake and chewed.

I eyed her as she chewed, waiting for the inevitable, "It's goooood~!".

But that never came.

"Uh... Nat? Is it good or...?"

"Shut it." She snapped. "Don't distract me."

I recoiled a bit from her sharp attack, so I decided to chew through my cakes while keeping an eye on her.

Once she was doing chewing, she gulped.

"Mmmmm...! Haaa~! That was great!" She moaned.

Her moan tickled my heart since it was so similar when we made love.

This caused me to tense up.

"Nat! Can you not make those sounds?!" I complained.

She ignored me.

"Mmm! This chocolate lava cake is so creamy and filling! I can feel my taste buds melting in the lava!"

...

"Hey. Aren't you going to eat, Gill?"

I took another bite out of the cake.

"Yes, yes, I am. But I am having more fun watching you eat." I teased.

Her cheeks filled with color, but she shined me her beautiful smile.

"Ehehe! I hope you enjoy the show then!"

We went back to eating, while I took the occasional break to watch her eat and react.

It didn't take long for the cakes on her plates to fall into her stomach.

"I feel like I am melting in sugar... This is like a dream, don't you think?"

I laughed a little and finished my last cake.

"A dream with a time limit. Come on, let's go get your next batch of cakes. I want to see how cute you are."

She gave me an enthusiastic nod, and we went straight to the cake aisle once more.

"Oooh! Oooh! Cheesecake, straight from the Cheesecake Inventory! I want to try New York Cheesecake! Do you want to try this as well, Dear?"

Without giving a window to respond, she put it on her plate and took a bite out of it.

"Mmmm! Whaaa! I never thought this cheese would dance so good on my tongue!"

Her reaction made my heart twinge.

She continued to find the cakes she wanted to enjoy, while I simply got myself a sandwich for a change of pace.

Once she came back, I noticed something off about the plate.

"Hey, Nat... Is that a Pocky cup? Since when did this place have that?"

She smugly looked at me.

"It's there if you look hard enough. I saw lots of times when I went up there. I thought guys had a bigger appetite than girls." She teased.

I scoffed at her.

"Yeah, well... You're an exception. Seriously, what's up with your sweet fang?"

She shrugged.

"I dunno, I guess it's my mom's genetics kicking in. She also has the same stomach for sweets."

And with that, she opened the cup up.

"Come on! Let's do this!" She said, putting a Pocky in her mouth.

...

Huh?

"I don't get it, what am I supposed to do here?" I asked.

She groaned at my obliviousness and pulled the stick away.

"Haven't you read any recent manga? It's this trend where a girl puts a Pocky in her mouth and lets the guy take the other side of it. They slowly have to chew through it while trying not to kiss! But since we're a couple, that doesn't apply to us!"

...

...

...

"Nat, that sounds like kissing with extra steps. And besides, we're doing this now?"

The pinkette leaned in a bit too close for my liking.

"Well, duh. Don't worry, the seats are tall enough to give us some privacy. And it won't take long! So come on, pleaseeeee? I need this research done!" She begged while putting the stick back in her mouth.

I sighed and bit onto the other side.

My girlfriend was the first to go, and she quickly bit down the stick.

And so, I reluctantly started to eat the stick, with a clumsy pace.

It didn't take long for Natsuki to assault me with her lips.

* * *

Dear was rubbing his lips, embarrassed by what has happened during the last minutes of our buffet.

"Looks like you enjoyed it." I teased, causing him to groan.

"Pah! You'll pay for this later. I'm gonna bully you so that you will regret doing that to me..."

Right now, it was the afternoon, and we still had a lot of time left to kill.

What should we do next...?

My eyes saw something in the distance, and it was something I haven't done in a while with my friends.

I tugged at his sleeve and pointed the direction I was looking at.

"Oooh! I want to do karaoke! Can we do karaoke?!" I asked.

As usual, my boyfriend was fine with that.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Let''s go then."

We entered the building and got ourselves a room.

Hmm, this place looks a little different than I thought it would.

But then again, that's my experience in Ainu kicking in again.

"Hey, Cupcake. I should mention that it is my first time in a karaoke room. You're gonna have to lead me by the water for this one." Dear stated, now relaxing on the soft seats.

I picked up a remote and tossed it over to him.

"Choose a song in the playlist and then start singing! It's that easy!"

He laughed nervously.

"Yeah... I think you should be the one to choose. You know, show it how it's done." He excused, tossing the remote back to me.

I couldn't help but sigh.

"Fine, fine. You really underestimate yourself at singing. You told me a year ago that everyone can sing, and it's the media that keeps telling everyone some people can sing, which isn't true."

Those words stuck to me for some reason.

Probably because it gave me a glimpse of Val's strangely idealistic personality.

He rubbed his in thought.

"I didn't think you would remember that... Since it was a bit of a throwaway comment. Anyway, I just want to hear ya sing. So go on, already."

I scrolled down the long list of songs and chose the song I wanted to sing.

"Alright! Let's do this!"

I pumped myself up and got ready.

When I picked up the mic, the lights in the room dimmed.

A few seconds later, the TV lit up and started playing the loud, energetic rhythms I knew.

I posed for my boyfriend and got into the mood.

Like how I managed to destroy the dance simulator, I let my body tune with the time of the song and danced a little.

Val's eyes widened at this.

"Whoa..."

His attention was given entirely to me, mesmerized by my bright, but loud voice.

I had a feeling that I was able to show the raw emotions behind the music.

After all, it was sung by the voice actor for Miya in Parfait Girls.

The energy and rhythm were just right for me.

As I sang to Val, I thought back to how it's been a year since we reunited.

We were childhood a long time ago.

And the first thing I did when I came back from Ainu was to crush on him hard.

We didn't know each other when we met again, but I had this weird feeling in my chest that I couldn't explain.

It was most likely lost love and this... bizarre feeling of deja vu.

After a string of lucky "coincidences," I fell in love with him, and he fell for me.

Just by meeting him again, my life been much more fun.

Even when we are doing nothing but relaxing, I can't help but feel like I am having fun.

When my cat died, Val doted on me as if I was pregnant.

Sure, I still miss him, but I am glad that Val was there for me when I needed him the most.

Anyway, for some weird reason, it feels like we have been together all this time.

Maybe it's because we have been living with each other for a couple of months now.

Our eyes met, so I winked at him.

I had a feeling that he and I were thinking the same thing.

Val has changed so much ever since we were kids.

Or I think the right words is that he grew up.

He was cute when he was younger sure, but it looks like puberty hit him like a truck.

Wait, I shouldn't talk about his appearance that much.

The real reason why I fell in love with him was because of his personality.

I never thought that he would be this hardworking, proactive, or kind.

Hardworking to the point, he will push his body to absolute limits.

Proactive, knowing what he wants and how he will get it.

And kind... He is so kind that he doesn't realize it.

...

I wish I saw this change or growth when I was growing up with him.

That way, I think I would understand him more.

But this is fine.

Now, I think I can understand in my terms and my own pace.

Since...

Since we are going together forever.

Our eyes met once again, so I winked at him.

I can't wait for what the future holds for us.

...

Because I know for a fact that I will enjoy it with him.

With the final note, I let out a deep breath.

"So, what did you think?" I asked.

He was still looking at me, which felt warm to me.

Dear shook his head out of it and grinned.

"I'm... I'm at a loss for words. Seriously, I never thought you would be this good singing! That was absolutely amazing!" He cheered, holding his jittery energy in. "If I didn't know any better, I think you could have passed as an idol singer! Gaaah! You were ridiculously cute too that I... I think I fell in love with you again."

I rubbed my arm sheepishly and looked down at the table.

"Jeez... I wasn't expecting you to blow up in front of me. T-Thank you, Dear."

He grinned and laughed a little to himself.

"Alright!" Dear pumped, now picking up the remote and choosing a song. "Now I'm gonna make you fall in love with me again! Thanks to my chorus class, I think I might be able to pull this off!"

I rested my chin on my palm and watched him sing.

* * *

The music that played was a classic rock cover from the States.

It was apparent that emotion also played a massive role in captivating the audience.

This song was perfect for that.

Although I wasn't flamboyant enough to do poses, the closest I can do was close my eyes and sing from my heart.

The lights dimmed and out blared the song I was well acquainted with.

While the song played and I sang, I went back to my thoughts while Natsuki was singing.

I think it's fair to say that this world...

This world doesn't feel right.

Not because I got back to Natsuki, heavens no, it feels like some event I thought took place never happened.

It feels like I was transported from another parallel universe and forced to remember memories I thought I never had.

But I am not saying it was a bad thing.

I love Natsuki, and I am glad that I fell in love with her.

But some of the events that lead to me meeting her again didn't add up.

Enough of that, me.

I think it's time that I just accept how things are, no matter how off-putting they are.

Especially if it was a reason why I got back to her.

At first...

I will admit, I didn't think of Natsuki much.

All I thought of her was a girl I could be friends with and tease her with.

That's it.

But once I got to know her playful, durable, and caring nature, I knew there was more than meets the eye.

Playful, in which she always keeps me on my toes, in a good way.

After all, it's one of the traits that make so cute in my eyes.

Strong to show off how she can handle anything and can take on many hardships.

She is so strong and independent that I can't help being interested in her.

Her strength is what also gives me strength.

Caring...

She cares for me, and it is something I am so grateful for.

If not for her, I think I would have pushed myself so far.

And it's because of her care is why I can never thank her enough for.

She cares about everyone, whether they know it or not.

It's a combination of those traits, the reason why I fell in love with her.

So thanks...

Thanks for being around an idiot like me.

* * *

Obviously, he stayed true to his word and made me fall for him again.

Both of us tried to make each other fall in love again with the power of music.

It worked to an extent until we got bored with it.

And so, we left the karaoke room and went outside.

The sun was about to set, so we decided to walk around for a bit to get the blood flowing.

I had one final destination in mind, so I made sure to lead him there.

We continued to walk until we finally got there.

It was the jewelry shop marketed towards the general public.

Most of the goods there was silver. There were some gold items here and there.

I wanted to show him some matching rings I was planning on buying, to show that we were a couple.

But it was also so I can check out the cute princess necklace I had my eyes on.

That necklace was adorned with a small silver cat head with pink gemmed eyes, which made it irresistible.

Strangely, the more I thought about it, my heart started to ache.

Maybe, I'm overthinking about my cat...

But my chest kind of hurts whenever I think about it.

"Ah, I had a feeling that we would be here." Dear remarked, looking at the store's display.

Huh?

How does he know?

My boyfriend turned to me with his usual dorky smile.

"You wanted that necklace with the cat head on it, right?"

Wait...

So he knew all this time?

Everything suddenly clicked for me at that moment.

"Gill, is this the... secret you were talking about all those months ago? When you first moved in with me?"

He gave me a knowing nod.

"Yep. I knew you really wanted that necklace, so I worked to get the money to buy it. Silver is inexpensive, but the pink gems kind of made it pricy."

No way...

He bought it?!

So this is what he was planning on doing for a while, huh?

My boyfriend pulled a plastic bag that contained the necklace I was looking for.

I couldn't believe my eyes as he took off the plastic and displayed it in front of me.

Suddenly, as soon as I saw the pink gem eyes, my heart started pounding.

It hurts...

The eyes, for some reason, looked eerily familiar to my cat.

And it caused me to grit my teeth in pain.

"Happy Anniversary, Natsuki. I love you."

...

...

...

I wanted to cry in happiness, but my body felt like it was losing control.

My heart kept pounding, beating against my chest as I remembered what happened a week ago.

I took the necklace in hand and gave him a weak smile.

But even he knew something was wrong.

"Cupcake? Is there something wrong?" He asked, confused by my reaction.

I took a hasty breath in.

"I... I don't know... I feel weird..." I stuttered, clutching my chest in pain.

His eyes widened at what was going on.

My heart...

It hurts...

It hurts so much.

I can't breathe...

Help...

My vision grew blacker and blacker until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

"Natsuki!" I heard Dear yell.

My legs gave way, and I felt nothing.

* * *

I was in the emergency room, watching as Natsuki was taken away by the doctors and nurses.

She was struggling to get oxygen in her body.

That's why she...

My mind replayed back to what happened earlier.

When Natsuki fell into my arms, it felt like she died...

It felt like something in me died as well.

This feeling...

It resembled how I felt when Monika left without telling me.

But it was much, much worse.

I was scared...

I was scared that I was going to lose her.

And so carried her straight to the hospital.

It was very convenient for the hospital to be close by because I wasn't thinking straight.

Damn, this goes against everything Yamato taught me.

Keep a level-head, no matter what.

I couldn't keep a level-head there since I was on auto-pilot.

If the hospital wasn't near, she could've died there!

...

I won't ever make a mistake like that again.

Because I can't imagine life without her.

The doors opened behind me, and I looked towards the visitors.

It was both of her parents.

"Kid? Where's Natsuki?" Yamato asked worriedly but keeping a cool head.

I pointed at the double doors, which lead to the CCU.

Her mother paled and trembled at what that meant.

"Oh my god... Natsuki... She also has..." Sakura whispered as if knowing what had happened.

Yamato put his hand on her wife's shoulder.

"It's OK. Our little girl is strong, Sakura. Don't you worry." He assured.

His wife held onto his hand for comfort.

Yamato then looked back at me.

"Kid, can you tell me what happened? Anything helps."

I nodded and looked at the CCU, where my girlfriend was taken away.

It's going to hurt thinking about what happened.

As much I don't talk about it, her parents need to know.

"We... We were on a date. Natsuki was doing fine, actually, and we had fun. But when I showed her a necklace she wanted for a year now, it looked she was in immense pain. It's probably because it reminded her of her cat. She collapsed, but I managed to catch her in time, but she wasn't breathing. I ran straight to the hospital with her in my arms and yelled at someone to help her." I explained, my eyes starting to burn.

I shook away the tears and looked back at Yamato.

He nodded slowly, processing the information I gave him.

"I see. Did she show signs of this happening before?"

The heartburn...

I told them about her cat dying, but I didn't think it would be life-threatening.

"When her cat died, she said she had heartburn," I said. "Other than that, I don't remember her struggling to breathe."

I balled my hands up and shook my head.

"What's going on with her? Do you guys know anything?"

Sakura gripped her husband's hand and looked at me.

"I think I know... Natsuki has the same heart condition I had. I never thought it would come back. After all, the doctors diagnosed and fixed her up to her when I had surgery."

Wait... that's the surgery where my Dad chipped in a large amount of money to help Yamato.

"Then why is it back?! Why did the condition come back?!" I exclaimed, feeling much irritated.

They understood how I felt.

"We don't know," Yamato spoke. "The death of her cat may have triggered something in her heart. Other than that, I am drawing blanks."

As soon as Yamato finished, a doctor came out of the double doors.

He walked towards us.

"Are you all her family?" He asked, to which he all nodded. "Your daughter is in dire condition and shows the same heart condition that runs in your family. So to save her life, we are going to stabilize her and perform surgery."

My body froze from his words.

"What are her chances, doc?" Yamato asked, still keeping his cool head.

He looked at his clipboard to review his notes.

"We aren't sure. It's best that I don't sugarcoat it, but would have best sent her here a few months ago. That way, the surgery would have been flawless. In any case, I must get moving."

With that, he stepped aside.

The doors opened again with Monika, Tom, and Sayori in tow.

Why are they here?

That's right, I called Monika because I was freaking out.

She yelled at me, saying that I was Natsuki's boyfriend and needed to calm down.

I'm grateful that I have friends such as Monika to get my head out of the gutter.

Once they arrived, I explained what just happened.

My other childhood friend walked up to me and hugged me.

Unlike the many other hugs she has given me, this one felt wholly platonic and sibling-like.

It was something I needed at the moment.

She pulled away and gave me a small smile.

"You're doing great, Val. Keep this up, OK?"

I nodded and smiled back.

Sayori came up to me and gripped my hand.

"Are you doing, OK?" She asked, with an uncharacteristically rigid tone to her voice. "You poor thing... seeing Natsuki fall like that must have hurt you."

I looked away, confirming her suspicions.

"Natsuki is a tough girl, so please don't worry too much. Stay positive and try to look at the bright side, even when things get bleak."

She walked up to Natsuki's parents with Monika.

Tom was up next and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I understand how you feel, Brooklyn. You're scared of losing her, right?"

I didn't respond at first, needing some time to put the words together.

"Why wouldn't I be? I love her, and I don't know I can take another hit my heart again. When Monika left, it left a gaping hole in my heart. Sure, I recovered, but I knew she was coming back and was alive. I-I... can't say for my girlfriend. I might lose her and never get her back."

He patted my shoulder and smiled.

"Don't say that. Given what I have seen, I know she will pull through. You like to protect her and all, but she can handle herself." He confidently said.

The rest of our friends arrived and we all hoping for the best.

Another doctor came out of the CCU, so I walked up to him.

"Doctor, how is she doing?" I asked, trying my utmost hardest to hide my desperation.

He kept a neutral face and looked right at me.

"We managed to stabilize her for the time being. And we are about to start the surgery when the surgeon arrives. You can go in, but try to limit the number of people coming with you. Too much excitement to her heart may have consequences."

With that, he left the scene.

I looked back at everyone and motioned for the literature club to come with me.

We went through the double doors and walked towards Natsuki.

"I've been here a long time ago... in another lifetime. Never thought I would see it again." Hill-Top muttered under his breath.

My eyes caught onto the familiar pink hair.

Before I walked in, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Val, we'll hang back here. Go and see her." Monika ordered.

I nodded and walked in.

Her eyes caught onto mine and only offered a weak smile under the respirator she has on.

"Dear... I'm so glad to see you..."

It took everything I had not to hug her at that very moment.

"Me too. It's a relief to see you feeling a little better." I replied, smiling back.

She weakly pulled her hand up to show the necklace she kept.

"I... I didn't get the chance to tell you this... But I love this necklace. The fact that you bought for a gal like me... It makes me happy. Thank you, Dear."

I held her hand.

"I told you before, my promise to make you happy never ends. This is one of many parts of the job, Cupcake."

Her eyes shined before me, reminding me of her cat's last moments.

"Val... Sorry that this date took a turn for the worse. If I don't make it-"

NO!

"Natsuki! Don't you dare say that! Please... Please don't say that. I don't know what I would do if you..."

I choked up.

I felt my eyes burn as the tears fell down my cheeks.

"Val." She calmly called. "Don't cry."

...

...

...

"Just... hear me out. I just want to let you know... If I do make it out of here, I want to be with you forever."

Wait...

"Does that mean..."

She closed her eyes.

"I don't care what my Dad says. When I get out, I want you to propose to me. I don't want to lose you ever again."

I rubbed the tears out of my eyes and gripped her hand.

"You... You got it! I will do it!"

* * *

It's been a couple of hours since the surgery has started.

My patience for the whole situation has been waning ever since.

I started showing more and more of my temper as time went on, so I did everyone a favor and kept quiet.

Everyone has been chatting here and there to help lighten the mood, and so far it has been working.

"Kid, come over here. You can't kill yourself over this." Yamato suggested.

I sighed and walked over.

The first thing I did was apologize for my behavior.

"Sorry about my temper, everyone. I never thought this would get to me. I guess I still have a lot to learn, don't I?"

Yamato put his arm around me and smiled.

"Ah, don't sweat it, kid. Controlling your temper and keeping it reasonable is difficult, I know. It will come with time, don't worry." He assured.

I smiled back from his parental behavior.

After all, I'm going to be his son-in-law after this.

"Yeah, Boss." Hiro agreed. "It's rare for you to let your anger out like this. It makes me think you're actually human."

"Hiro's got the point. Val, showing his temper? I never thought the day would come." Dan teased.

Tom joined in.

"To think you never got angry... Brooklyn's got a lot of venting to do, don't ya?" He smirked.

I rolled my eyes at this, but I enjoyed their jabs.

"Boys sure to love beating each other up, don't they?" Sakura droned.

Monika giggled at this.

"It's apparently their way of showing they care."

Sayori and Yuri were puzzled by this.

"By bullying each other?" Yuri asked.

"I don't get boys." Sayori followed up, despite her being in a relationship with her childhood friend.

Yamato nodded approvingly.

"It's been routine for a long time now. We tease each other and get on each other's nerves, but at the end of the day, we care about one and another."

...

I appreciate everyone coming here to keep my mind off things.

It really helps...

...

Natsuki...

Please come back to me...

We all talked to each other until a puzzled doctor finally came out of the operation room.

I was the first one to walk up to him.

"Doctor! How is she doing?!" I asked.

He scratched his head, a little confused about the whole situation.

"Err... Yes... She is doing fine. The surgery was a success, yes."

I raised an eyebrow at this.

Sakura stepped in.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

He blinked a couple of times.

"The surgery went flawlessly. We had a feeling that this would be a difficult surgery, but it wasn't. We are scratching our heads over the results. It's like a miracle..."

The information finally clicked in my head.

Natsuki...

So she did make it?

I was then bought over to the room where Natsuki was in.

Wait, how did I get here?

What's going on?

She was still lying on the bed with a respirator, but she still gave me a vibrant smile.

"I told ya I would make it!"

I shook my head out of it.

That's weird, but whatever.

I shouldn't question it.

"You never said that. You had me worried the whole time, Nat."

She bit her lip but looked up to me.

"I'm sorry for getting you worried. I really am. I won't ever leave you again, Val. I swear- I promise."

I closed my eyes and held her hand.

"OK, that's a promise. Now, Nat. Put on the necklace."

She let go of my hand and put it on.

I opened my eyes.

And it looked fabulous on her.

"I held onto the necklace all this time. I made sure to never let go of it." She explained. "If I did let go of it, then I thought I wouldn't make it."

I took a deep breath and looked in her pink eyes.

She held a piece of me in her heart.

That way, she made it.

If that's the case, then I need to make sure I'm always there.

"That so? Then let's tie things up."

I held both her hands as she looked into mine expectantly.

"Natsuki, will you marry me?"

* * *

It's been a few weeks since Natsuki underwent surgery for her condition and properly recovered.

The doctors have said that she is making extraordinary progress in recovering, saying something is guiding its progress.

She is now perfectly capable of doing anything reasonable again and shows no signs of the surgery.

It was strange since she was supposed to be under medication in case the condition comes up again. Still, her body, for some reason, showed no signs of the condition anymore.

Still, I made sure she took the medication just in case.

After all, she couldn't say no to me, especially since I meant it.

It's like the heart condition didn't exist in the first place.

Weird.

Well, whatever, I am glad she is back to normal and kicking again.

But for some reason, I am feeling more and more irritated.

And I really don't know why.

I was able to hide it pretty well for a while, but now it's starting to leak.

What's wrong with me?

...

Wait a minute.

Is it because...

I didn't have a release for a long time?!

Ugh!

Seriously, that's so...

Unexpected?

I don't know the right word to explain this feeling.

Well, whatever.

That might be explaining why I am so mean to Natsuki lately.

I was finishing up training and was able to convince Yamato to let me drive the truck back.

Once I parked the truck back into the garage, I went to the bakery.

It was closed today, because of a holiday, so Yamato and Sakura planned on having a date.

Which conveniently leaving Natsuki and me home alone.

I went up the stairs, entered the bathroom, and saw Natsuki in something I haven't seen before.

Wha-?!

What is she wearing?!

The pinkette wore a Victorian-era maid dress with cat-ears and was scrubbing the floor while on her knees.

For some reason...

I feel like I have seen this before.

But where?

Argh, nevermind that me.

I should admit that her curves are shown really nicely here.

Jeez, I am a pervert.

I walked up to her and leaned against the doorframe.

"So, what are you doing in a maid outfit?" I asked in an unintentionally brusque tone.

Her head perked up once I realized I was here.

"(Oh! Welcome home, master! I was only cleaning the floors!)" She replied in near-perfect English.

I was obviously taken aback by this.

"Heh, looks like my lessons have been paying off. And what is with the roleplay?"

She playfully rolled her eyes.

"(You will see. I was in the mood for it. Why don't you order me around?)" She answered. "Hey, how was my English? I improved a lot, right? I wanted to surprise you with it!"

I smiled and leaned back.

"Very, very good. I don't hear an accent or hear any errors in pronunciation and diction. Well, done."

She shone me a vibrant smile and stared me expectantly.

Hmm?

Oh right!

Natsuki awaited my command.

"Hmm... I'll play along, I guess. For now, scrub the floors." I said, a little uncomfortable.

She nodded and went back to scrubbing.

I watched her as she scrubbed the floors.

Hmm...

I swear, I feel like she shaking her hips as she is working.

My eyes focused on her bottom.

Is she...

Trying to seduce me?

If so, she is doing a phenomenal job.

I continued to star and noticed she was swaying subtly.

Wait...

She is!

Well, two can play that game.

"Scrub harder! I want to see those floors sparking!" I barked.

The girl responded with a "Yes, master!" and scrubbed harder.

...

I can't help but feel a little weird when she called me...

Master.

This is some fetish, Nat has.

At least it is still a little tame compared to other fetishes.

Not that I am judging anyone by it.

In any case, she wants me to bully her.

And so I will bully.

Also, I won't ever treat her like this if she wasn't into it.

That goes without saying, of course.

"Get up! I want to see how you did!" I yelled.

She immediately got up and pulled her bucket to the side.

I squatted down and checked the floors.

"Hmph... It isn't as sparkly I expected. I expected you to do better than this!" I yelled, faking my anger.

Natsuki, in response, frowned and shuffled around a little.

"Pour out the soap water, it's time that I give you your punishment for this job."

Not going to lie, I feel like I'm the bad guy for playing along with this.

Natsuki poured the soap water out and put the bucket down.

I crossed my arms and glared at her.

She shuffled again.

"Are you... going to punish me, master?"

Well, no use complaining about this.

"I am." I simply answered. "Come with me."

We went to my room.

Natsuki gave me an embarrassed smile and pulled her dress up, revealing how turned on she was.

And sticking out of her butt was a tail.

Yep, I had a feeling this was the case.

You're such a pervert, Natsuki.

Her underwear was already wet by her own secretions.

The fabric is so thin that I was able to see through to her fair skin.

It was stuck around her slit, and I was able to make out the form through her underwear.

"You get turned on by this?" I asked, to which she only replied with a nod.

And so, I undid my belt and unzipped, letting myself free.

I prod myself against her, electing a cute moan from her.

"Aaauh...! M-Master, come on... put it in already. Please..."

I scoffed at her.

"Who do you think you are? Giving orders to me? Know your place, you lowly cat-maid!" I scolded.

In an instant, I was able to smell her feminine scent.

Oh, so she's into this...

She shakes her hips, which made me firmly stand up against her wet bottom.

"I'm sorry... You're right, I am but a lowly maid... But I can't help it..." She whined.

And so, I decided to tease her.

I realized we haven't had a release for a while, possibly explaining our behaviors.

My hands wandered towards her modest chest and touched them.

But I realized something.

"Your chest... it's gotten noticeably bigger." I remarked.

She giggled nervously.

"Yeah... it's because you keep touching it. Your firm hands stimulated it so much that I think my chest grew. That's the same case for my mom, and it was her secret to getting bigger..."

So that was the secret about her chest.

With this revelation, I fondled her chest with the palm of my hands.

"Nh... hah, haa, haa..."

After a few moments of this gentle massage, Natsuki's breath grows lively, and I felt her nipples starting to harden.

I pulled off the top portion of the outfit and touched them directly.

"Your heart's beating fast, isn't it? I can feel it."

After a bit of massaging her, I decided to take action.

"You ready?"

She nodded silently.

I slowly inserted myself into her.

"Auuh... Nggh... Master...!"

I gritted my teeth from how tight Natsuki was.

The pinkette's already breathing roughly just from me inserting it.

She looked back at me with a bashful and anxious sensation coating her eyes.

"Wait... Can you... Can you carry me?"

I had a rough idea of what she wanted from me, but I tried to twist it.

And so, I slipped my arms under Natsuki's knees and pulled her up.

She was surprisingly flexible, given the circumstances, she is in now.

I put my hands above her head and supported her so she wouldn't fall off.

Her knees rested on my forearm as she marveled at what I was doing.

Natsuki was surprised by what I was doing.

W-Wait... we're starting with this position, master?"

I moved towards a mirror so she can see us in action.

"That we are. Is this what you wanted?"

The pinkette was embarrassed but looked at me.

"It's better than I imagined."

Her insides were clamping on like a vise, begging me to provide some much-wanted friction.

And so I finally obliged.

As I pulled out and in, she let out another moan.

"Hyahn! Aah! Y-You're in so deep!"

Thanks to the training I did, my lower body had a lot more power to spare.

And so, I slowly thrust myself into her.

Her steady gasps of air were making me lose more and more of my self-control.

She was helpless under my grip, so I had to pick up the pace.

I steadily upped my tempo, consistently hitting a specific spot she loved so much.

"Nggh! Ah, haah! I-I never thought my body would f-feel this good! F-Faster, please, master!"

And I obliged to her desires.

"Very well, only because you said please and knew who you were talking to."

I started to pick up the pace and thrust into a little more firmly than before.

"Fwaah! Aah... aah, haaa, haa!"

Because of this position, my thrusts into her love-spot was a little easier to access, but at the cost of her not being able to move much.

As I upped my temp, I felt Natsuki writhe from my intense attacks.

She gritted her teeth, immersed with the pleasure she was feeling.

"I-I'm going to break, master! Hyaaah! I-If you keep th-this up... then I'll fall apart! Nnngh!"

As soon she said that, I felt her insides tighten against me, causing her to roll her eyes back.

The liquid flowed out of the girl's womanhood, dripping down the shaft of me every time I thrust into her.

Natsuki's pleasant womanly scent filled my room.

Little by little, the more and more I attacked, the more her body adjusted.

In fact, she seemed to be getting used to having her womb jolted by me while I held her still in my arms.

"Time to kick things up a notch!"

She didn't expect what I did next.

With a reined scream, she stretched out her body against my mine.

This probably had to do with the fact that I started twisting my hips whenever I thrust.

As a result, I hit multiple parts of her womanhood.

"Fwah! Aaah! Kuuhh...!"

To add to this, I alternated between deep, slow strokes with rapid shallow thrusts, keeping her at the edge.

Her breathing was starting to become more and more unsteady as I thrust, so sloppily let her tongue out to lap any air she can.

After rotating my head rapidly inside of her, I pierced the back of her womanhood.

This allowed me to move up and down, left and right, exploring every nook and cranny of the narrow hole I was in.

"Y-You're stirring my sides up...! Auuugh! Aaah! Haah!"

To add the strawberry on top, I sometimes pull myself out and rub my tip against her labia and clitoris.

"You like being messed up like this, huh?" I teased. "Don't you, you lowly maid?"

She responded with a small whine.

"Auuuh! Y-Yes, yes, I do! I love this! Eeek!"

I took the chance to stir myself around all the more vigorously.

Her eyes rolled back at this, growing increasingly dreamy and hazy.

"I-I can't think clearly...! My head is going blank from how hard you're hitting me! Fuhhh!"

Eventually, her body started to convulse in my arms, twitching and shaking.

I felt myself twitching, meaning I was close.

Her body grew tenser and tenser, with her twitches causing her to go wild in my arms. I pressed once more, landing a mighty blow against the mouth of her uterus.

"I-I can't hold it in anymore...! Ahhhh, agghh! Ah! Hyaaaaah!"

Her body broke free from my restraints and stretched outwards as I twitched uncontrollably.

I pulled out and let out a sigh, my body dying to release what it wanted all this time.

And so, I waited for Natsuki's tremors to die down before putting her down on my bed.

With my lust lidded mind, I sprayed myself on her face.

"Master... that felt so good..." She muttered with bright eyes.

Despite this, I wanted more.

"Who said this was it? I'm still going to bully you more. Fortunately, you made things a little easier with this."

I grabbed her tail, which was, in actuality, a butt-plug that responded to touch.

"To think that you go so far to put this in... Where did you buy this?"

She shook from pleasure.

"I-I b-bought it in the same place I buy doujins..." The pervert muttered.

And to think I am the one who is perverted.

I firmly gripped her tail, causing her to arch her back.

"Aaah! S-Stop that! I-I-I'm still... sensitive."

I retaliated her character break by twisting her tail.

That made her convulse a little in response.

"Don't forget who I am, you perverted maid. To think you would buy perverted merchandise as well. How shameful."

She nodded meekly.

"I'm sorry, M-Master... A perverted maid like me has no right to talk like that..."

Hmm, is it wrong that I'm getting used to this roleplay?

I flipped her around and inserted myself back inside of her again.

"I still have to get you back for our date. Using a Pocky stick and almost dying on me? I'll make sure to make you pay."

She let out a cute moan but heart-tickling to my touch.

"I have been a bad girl, I know...! So please punish me!"

I gripped onto her hips as I went in, with her walls clamping onto me.

"That's what I am going to do. You're such a masochist."

Her back arched slightly as I went further and further.

"Uuuh...!"

I gritted my teeth at her reaction.

"Gh...! You don't want to leave at do you? OK, wow! This is really, really tight!" I commented, breaking character.

Natsuki turned to me with a glare.

"Heeey! Now yer the one to break?! Keep in character!"

I waved my hand at her.

"Right! Right! Uh, let's see here... I'll make sure you won't ever forget my shape!"

...

That works, right?

I pulled back and pushed in slowly, amazed by her reactions.

Her walls twitched uncontrollably as I went in.

Natsuki was trembling as I kept going in.

She is pretty sensitive that much is true.

The fact that I am thrusting slowly shows how much it makes an impact.

Let's see how things would be if I upped the tempo.

She was now lying on my bed, her breath hitching sharply each time I entered her.

By using her hips, I continued to push in, burying myself in her walls.

I was moving in faster and faster, causing her to clutch the sheets tightly.

"Nnnggggh! Aaah! Haah~!"

She reacted quickly from my increasing speed.

Let's see if things changes if I grip her tail.

With my grip on the tail, I pulled it up, while making sure it wouldn't leave her.

She arched back sharply and with widened eyes.

"EYAAAH! Aaah! AAAH!"

Oh, so that's really effective.

As I mused, her walls clamped down onto me, causing me to hiss.

"Argh!"

That is really **effective** , it seems.

I continued my work by fondling her tail and now her chest.

By leaning close against her body, I didn't have put much force to hit the spot she loved.

Her face showed she was in total bliss.

To add to this, I started to twist my hips slightly to stir her up as I did before.

"AAAAH! GYAAAH!"

Since I was stimulating her from both sides, it was safe to say she was enjoying this.

Her nails dug into the pillow covers as I jackhammered.

Her frenzied moans caused me to twitch up.

It didn't take long until I was about climax for the second time.

Her walls started clamping down, tightening even more so than before.

That meant she was close too.

Not yet...

I still have more fuel to go on!

And so, I started to wildly twist my hips to stir her up, making sure every nook and cranny of her tunnel was covered.

She reacted positively, causing her to arch her back and moving her hips as well.

"Uuuuh! Master, I love it when you bully me...! Aaah!"

Her vaginal fluids started to leak each I thrust into her.

I maxed up my tempo as a result of this.

She's on the verge of an orgasm...

Time to tie up some loose ends.

I roughed up her tail and chest as much I could to give each other the ultimate pleasure.

"Val! I-I'm gonna... Aaaah! I-I... NO! GAAAH!"

Her tail tightened, and her walls squeezed me, causing me to let out my shot for the second time.

I felt my world turn white for a second before I caught myself.

Her walls continued to wring the semen out of me as I finished.

"Hrk! You're squeezing the life of me!" I groaned.

The pinkette had no way of reacting to any of my words at all.

After all, she was in her own land.

We were exhausted by the second round we did.

I pulled myself and her tail out.

Then I moved to her side, still mind broken by the pleasure.

Her body still convulsing here and there from the orgasm.

Once she was done, she collapsed over me.

I heard her take in ragged breathes as she tried to regain her mental faculties.

"That was... awesome, Master."

I hugged her and pulled a blanket over us.

"Yeah... it was."

...

As we cuddled and held each other close, I felt my future wife shuffle a bit.

"Val?"

I looked down at her with warm eyes.

"Hmm?"

She grinned with her cute fang pointing out.

It was the same fang that made me fall in love with her.

"I love you."

When I heard those words again, I always feel like my heart soars in the air.

"Yeah... I love you, too."

And when I say it to her, my world only consists of her.

That was how we spent our time together.

* * *

It's been a couple of years ever since I married Natsuki and had the actual ceremony.

Lots of things have changed ever since.

Cupcake had finally gotten around to publishing her manga.

To her surprise, it was very popular with both the male and female demographic.

And so, I helped her out with some of the scenes, provided some insight, and ran the bakery with her.

Natsuki and I moved out of the bakery and opened up our own bakery.

Yamato put up a bit of fuss, stating that my training is mandatory, and the match was still pending.

But when Natsuki yelled at him, bringing up, she almost died, and it would make her happy, he relented.

So because of that, he decided it was best not to push it too far.

We still haven't had our match, but we were planning to have our match today.

Today was the day of our tenth anniversary of getting together.

"Papa?"

I felt a tug at my pants.

"Are we going to visit Grandma and Grandpa today?" She asked.

This is my daughter... Natsuki's and I's pride and joy.

For some strange reason, she resembled her mother to a worrying degree.

They both have the same hair, eyes, temper, and fang.

The only part of me that carries over is my smile.

Weird, but I don't mind at all.

She is my daughter, after all.

I smiled and picked her up.

"Yes, we are. Let's get ready. Where's your mother?"

I heard my wife come down the stairs, ready.

"I'm right here, Dear."

Natsuki was an almost spitting image of her mother.

She walked up me kissed me on the cheek.

"Now, I hope you will win this match, so he can give it a rest. Also, I hope you don't do the same for my girl's future boyfriend. Sayori's kid is in for trouble if you are really going for it." She said with a forceful tone.

I laughed nervously at her.

"Ahaha... Can you blame me? I want the best man for my daughter. I didn't understand completely until-"

I interrupted myself to nuzzle my nose against our daughter, to which she giggled.

"... Until I held her hand. I promised myself that I would protect my little girl from whatever harms her, just you wait."

She rolled her eyes playfully.

"Have some faith in her. If we raise her right, then we nothing to worry about."

That's right.

If we raise with love and care, then she will grow up just fine.

"I will... don't you worry, Nat. Now, let's get to the truck. It's time to wrap things up."

We got into the truck, seated our daughter in the back, and drove to the old house on the outskirts.

As we drove, I was felt a slightly queasy feeling settling in my stomach.

"You know... I'm still feeling a little nervous about this." I said, still keeping my eyes on the road.

My wife giggled at this.

"Hehehe! Don't be such a pansy. You'll do fine, I swear! If there is something that's never wrong, it's my gut feeling! Do you want to know what Dad said about while training?" Cupcake offered.

Wait, what he said.

I nodded since it piqued my interest.

"He would always bring up how fast you learn things. Calling you a sponge whenever you weren't around. He was a teeny-weeny bit scared that you would be able to beat him easily sooner or later. Ah~! That brings back memories."

I didn't know that...

That is a real confidence booster.

He always did say I had potential, but I had no idea it was like this.

It didn't take long until we got there.

The old Natsuki home was still as pristine as ever.

I surveyed the surroundings, marveling at how things looked now.

The government decided to renovate and rebuild some of the old, dilapidated buildings here.

And it paid off...

I parked and saw my parents-in-law sitting on the porch, waiting for us.

We gave them a wave to greet them as we got out of the car.

As I unbuckled our daughter's seat, she got up and ran straight to her grandparents' arms.

I was surprised, to say the least.

"Jeez, I wonder how long she was holding that in," I muttered. "Look at her..."

Natsuki looked at me and smiled, her little fang poking out.

"You would be surprised. Five-year-olds love to run around, and that energy keeps them going for hours."

We all entered the backyard and started to get ready.

"You know... whenever would come here. I swear I could feel my cat purring against me... Why would he be here of all places?" She wondered.

I shrugged, secretly knowing the answer.

"Don't know, maybe he really is looking after you, Natsuki."

She looked into my eyes for answers, but I made sure to hide it.

It's a weird phenomenon...

To think her cat would be here since Yamato buried him here...

I'm glad to see that he still looks after her.

"Hey, kid! Come on! Let's do this already!" Yamato called.

I sighed and smiled at my wife.

With that, I walked up to him.

"So, it all comes down to this, right?" I joked.

He scowled at me.

"Shut it, brat! Now let's see if you have been slacking around with my little girl!" He growled.

Although he tried to be hostile, I knew he was trying his best not to show his dwindling resolve to this in the first place.

I scoffed at him and looked at my family.

Sakura was playing with my daughter, while Natsuki watched me unknowingly petting a black cat.

She winked at me, and I smiled back.

"Keep this clean kid. And try not to embarrass yourself to your wife and daughter." He taunted.

I smirked and got ready.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's do this, old man."

And so, we fought, ending the decade long conflict.

My daughter tugged the side of my pants, which got my attention.

"Papa? Why did you fight grandpapa? What did he do?" She innocently asked.

Oh, dear.

I gave my daughter a nervous smile.

"It's... It's well he wanted to test me." I answered.

Given how curious kids are at this age, she would follow up with another question.

"Why did the grandpapa test you?"

Hmm, I never thought it would be difficult to explain things while keeping it simple and family-friendly.

I thought about it for a second.

"He wanted to test how much I love your mother and, most of all, you."

I tickled her, which caused her to shriek with laughter.

"You really didn't hold back, did you?" Cupcake asked, jumping into the conversation.

We were now walking down the street holding our daughter's hand on each side.

"He would have put a fuss if I did hold back." I simply answered. "I wanted to show him that I was dead serious about protecting and having a family with you."

She smirked at this.

"Yeah... You sure showed him. I always knew that this would happen, ya know? When you said you would train under him and fight him, I knew my Dad would get creamed. After all, you're a very hard worker, Dear. And a bit of an over-achiever."

I chuckled nervously.

"Hey, can you blame me? It was you guys on the line. Over-achieving a little bit on this sort of thing is called for, don't you think?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Mhm, over-achieving, and then I have to watch over you because you were overworked. You're lucky that I'm wife, your wife, baka."

I smiled from her endearing nickname.

"That I am. I'm so lucky that I have you put me down whenever I go overboard."

We leaned for a little kiss, which caused our daughter to whine.

"Hey! Not fair! I want a kiss too!"

And so, we leaned in to give her a little kiss on both of her cheeks.

She giggled happily in response.

Hearing our daughter laugh made me realize how happy I was.

I knew my wife felt the same as we watched her elated reaction.

We kept walking until Natsuki asked another question.

"Hey, Val... Are you happy?" She asked.

I answered without missing a beat.

"Of course, I am. I am happy. I got a beautiful wife and daughter. I get to grow old with you and watch our daughter grow. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

She gave me her vibrant smile, and I gave her my dorky one.

"You always like to get cheesy with these things. And I definitely don't hate it at all."

We stared into each other's eyes as the sunset.

"I love you, Val."

"I love you too, Nat."

We kissed once more and knew our future was looking bright.


	19. Darling (Monika)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your daily reminder that this is NOT MY WORK. This story was created by Enigma2187 and co-author Trabeina. Before you read this fanfic, read the original Holding On story by Enigma which I link below.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766119/chapters/36672903#workskin

Today was the first day of summer.

Or, in this case, the first day, we finally graduated from Dokisai.

Phew...

I planned on hanging out with my friends today, but we all had to cancel our plans because of a typhoon rapidly approaching the city.

So, we were now talking over on Melody, just relaxing and taking it easy instead.

"And I was like, he was wrong!" Hiro exclaimed, prompting us to laugh at his joke.

The context was an argument Hiro had with his older sister.

"That's hilarious, man," I commented, letting out a sigh. "Never thought it would come to that."

I was currently in my chair, laying my back on it.

"Anyway, games?" Hiro asked. "Anyone up for some Chromatic Hexagonal Blockade?"

We all were a little on edge because of that game.

"Yeah... about that. Let's take a break from that game." Hill-Top commented, a little afraid of playing that game.

I smirked at the reason why.

After all, it is super intense, short, and at times challenging for all of us.

"Oh yeah, it's because of all the smurfs we have been running into lately. Didn't you get wall-banged by sheer bad luck that one round?" I teased.

Hiro laughed at what I was getting at.

"That's right! That was super unlucky! You said this is super easy and shit, then the next second, you just get shot down from an Impulse! Hahaha!"

Oh, man...

That was hilarious, no doubt.

We continued to talk about all sorts of things until I heard a knock coming from my balcony door.

Aw, crap.

I was pretty sure everyone in the channel heard the knock as well.

"Well, it's been fun, alright, Val time to get off." Hiro teased.

And this is one of the consequences of a certain someone continually coming over to my room.

Why is she even here in the first place?

"Agh, screw you, Hiro." I retorted as I glanced at the balcony.

Everyone snickered at my incoming fate.

And so I muted myself and took off my headphones.

But all of a sudden, the door slid open, revealing the person who continually intrudes here.

"Hey, hey!" That certain someone greeted with a sort of intimidating look on her face.

Yep.

That certain someone is Monika.

My childhood friend and girlfriend...

I stood up and walked over to her.

"Hey, Mon. What's up? You need anything?"

She greeted back by jumping onto my bed and faceplanting herself onto my pillows.

"Not really~! I wanted to sleep here today! You know, since it's gonna rain... extra hard."

I deadpanned at her reason for this.

"Well... You didn't have to come through the balcony door if you wanted to come early... Instead, you could have entered through my door." I stated, now sitting back on my chair.

She pulled away from my pillows and smirked at me.

"And miss out on how annoyed you get? Hehe! No, thank you~! And besides, it's quicker if I come by balcony anyway, don't you think?"

I rolled my eyes and went back to my computer.

"Yeah, yeah. I guess."

From there, I unmuted and put my headphones back on.

"Alright, I'm back. Are we playing anything soon or-"

"Hey, Darling! What are you doing? Are you looking at porn?" Sweetheart teasingly asked, cutting me off.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me...

"No, Monika. I'm only talking with my friends." I replied, without much of a reaction, hoping she would get bored.

But that didn't seem to affect in any way.

"Monika? Aren't you supposed to call me 'Sweetheart,' Darling?"

I shot her a glare, warning her.

"Alright, my bad. Sorry, Sweetheart."

Even with my glare, she still wanted to tease me in front of my friends.

And so, I turned to my computer and saw that my friends were all stifling their laughter.

"Anyway, are we doing anything?" I asked again, hoping that Sweetheart wouldn't intrude again.

But before either of them could give a response, crawled up to me, as if wanting something.

"What's wrong?" I asked with my eyes.

She opened her mouth and pointed at it.

Huh?

What does that mean?

I looked at my desk and saw an unopened bag of chips, so I gave that to her.

She shook her head, causing me to put it away.

Why is she even doing this?

Does she want water or something?

Why is she crawling too?!

I gave her my water bottle, but she didn't seem to want that either.

She pointed towards my crotch, which caused my face to tighten.

"Darling... I want you-"

*WHOOSH*

Monika immediately started whining as soon as I forced her outside.

"Awww! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Darlingggg!"

I groaned at this and opened the door again.

"OK, Monika. Are you bored or something? What's wrong?"

She frowned and rubbed her thighs.

"I'm... Well, I'm actually frustrated right now."

...

I can't believe how glad I am for muting myself right now.

Otherwise, I'm sure that my friends would tease me to death because of this.

"Monika, I think we should have a talk about Communication. It's gotten to the point that it's getting a little problematic." I said, now sitting down the bed.

She puffed her cheeks out at this.

"Whaaaat?! But didn't you hear me? I'm frustrated! After all, we... we didn't sleep together in weeks because of the final tests and all. So come on... Let's get to work!"

Sweetheart then tried to lunge at me, but I put a hand on her cheek, stopping her in her tracks.

"Awww! Darlinggggg! I want youuuuu!"

As much I understand where Monika is coming from, we have to talk about it no matter what.

"Calm down, we will get to it right after this. This talk is pretty serious, alright?" I responded, keeping a stoic expression.

She sighed and sat down on the bed.

"OK, fine... What do you want to talk about?"

I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Communication. It's essential, especially since we are sort of prone to misunderstandings. You know, because of what happened on that day?"

She pursed her lips from the misunderstanding that happened on that day.

"You're right... So what do you propose then?" Sweetheart asked, now getting into the conversation.

I got just the thing.

"Simple, we directly ask what ever's in our head and take the situation into consideration. For example, you wanted to fuck my brains out, but you couldn't quite get it out in words. Since I'm an idiot, you might want to motion me to stop talking with my friends and hear you out. Granted, I probably would have declined since I was hanging out with them, but I at least know what you want and will take it into consideration. Don't pull that moe stuff where I have to guess and all... It gets a little frustrating."

She nodded slowly from what I was saying.

"I think I understand what you mean... So try to be considerate about the whole situation at hand and tell you what I want from you. Got it! Anything else you want to talk about?"

I rubbed my chin and thought about what else I had to say.

"Hmm... Ah, that's right! No secrets, alright? We can't keep secrets about each other from each other. Otherwise, it will create mistrust and probably make more misunderstandings. If something is incriminating about either of us, we will talk it out the first chance we get. We will talk things out and prevent any reruns of the last time from happening again. Got it?"

Monika nodded at what I was saying.

"Got it! So... Does that mean I have to show you my secrets right now?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, you're hiding something from me? Is it something really, really personal? Otherwise, I will give you the space you need." I stated, giving an example of how to act in the future.

She got the agenda and motioned me to come to her room.

We went inside, and she walked over to her drawers.

Hmm, I think I get what's she trying to show me.

It's the black journal from the week she came back.

Besides that, I don't know any secrets she has hidden away.

She pulled out the black journal and waved it at me.

"This... This is one of the secrets I want to show you, Val. And I should mention, it's super important that you know about it."

But before Monika dared to give me the journal, she frowned.

"Before you look into what I wrote... Please, please, please don't forget that I love you. This was written when I was in Ainu back when I... I thought I hated you, so it contains some of my darkest thoughts and my venting from how stressed I was. After all, I was a volatile teenager back then."

I nodded.

"That goes without saying, Monika. I know your perspective has changed since then, and it isn't a reflection of who you are right now. People's thoughts change over time; it is what it means to be human, after all. It's one of the definitions of life, right? To experience new things?"

She giggled at my mini philosophical lecture.

"Jeez, you really like to go on a tangent about that sort of thing. I get it... And thank you for understanding..."

Monika then handed me the black journal she had since Ainu, and I put my hand on the cover.

Here goes...

I flipped through the many memos and schedules, finally finding her diary entries when she first arrived at Ainu.

In each entry, she was showing how she went through the five stages of grief.

First, Monika was in complete denial about what happened back on that day, about my so-called "true" colors.

Then, she quickly got into a fit of rage about how... I didn't make it in time.

The third stage was depression, saddened that she thought our friendship and her feelings for me were now all for nothing.

This part...

I never thought it would hurt this much.

Monika thought that our relationship would never be the same again. Her feelings for me were based on "false" grounds...

Thinking about how life would be if she was not around, put me in a state of despair too...

We wouldn't have been together if this was the case either...

Fourth, Sweetheart wrote about she went to her friends for help, telling someone about her emotional and mental baggage.

Out of the three, Sayori was the one who knew the most about what happened to our relationship.

And it seemingly worked out for Sweetheart.

Because she went out of her way to tell someone who would care...

Sayori is well...

An excellent friend, reliable whenever you need her for any type of support.

I'm glad that she is happy with Hill-Top.

Despite telling her friends what happened, Monika couldn't make it to the fifth and final stages of grief.

Acceptance.

She couldn't let go of our history together and her lingering anger for not rescuing her in time...

And I don't blame her.

After all, she told me she loved me for a long time now, and it's been six or so months since I realized that.

Along with the fact that I loved her too, but I didn't realize it.

There were some entries about how she complained about what went wrong during a club meeting, but so far, she was instead... stable for lack of a better word.

All of the entries were more or less the same, with some events happening here and there.

But what caught my eye was the final entry she wrote.

In this entry, she reaffirmed her hatred for me and her surprise that I reached out to her.

Yep, I'm glad we had a talk about Communication. Otherwise, I'm sure something like this bound to happen again.

I got up to the part where she had to step in when Natsuki sucker-punched me on their first day in Dokisai.

Here she was confused about why she had to step in and-

For some reason, my head started to throb and spike in pain.

"Arrrgh!" I groaned as I clutched in pain.

Monika dashed over to me.

"Val! Val! What's wrong?! Why are you holding your head like that?! Val!"

Memories of where Natsuki talked to me instead of attacking were starting to flood my head.

The sudden flashes caused my head to implode with pain.

"I'm... I'm fine... I think...!" I managed to say while sitting on the bed.

Monika quickly brought me a glass of water as I tried to process what exactly just happened.

"Oh my gosh... Darling? Darling, are you OK?!" She frantically asked.

I took a large gulp of the water, and the pain immediately receded.

What the...?

It doesn't hurt anymore...

"I'm fine. The pain is completely gone." I answered, a little stupefied on how quickly the pain disappeared.

Sweetheart wasn't satisfied with my answer.

"I knew it... I knew I shouldn't have shown you this yet... Damn it! What's wrong with me?!" She berated herself.

I put my hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"This actually has nothing to with your thoughts... It had to with Natsuki actually."

She was baffled by my answer.

"W-What? What does that mean?"

I gulped the rest of the water and sighed.

"Well... When I read the part where Natsuki confronted me at that time in the tracks... I got this weird flashback where she didn't do that but instead talked to me normally while looking like she was hiding something. It didn't make any sense, because that clearly isn't what happened. You saw what happened and you wrote it down... Why am I getting flashbacks of that instead then?"

She thought carefully about what to say next.

"Hmm... If I didn't know any better, I would say it was a Mandela effect or something... But the way you reacted and told me what happened... I don't know the answer either. If I recall correctly, Natsuki also said something like that happened whenever she was around you. But... She never told me what happened, and it always... brought her to the verge of tears. I can only imagine what sort of memory she got..."

So...

Natsuki also got the same memory or something like that?

That's pretty weird.

Wait...

I have a hunch about something...

With the question in mind, I turned to Monika.

"Say, Sweetheart... Did the same thing also happen to Yuri?" I asked.

Her eyes widened slightly at this and nodded.

"Yeah... I think it did. Yuri also got hit with that... effect as well. Do you remember that one time in the literature club where Yuri suddenly had to leave after you shared poems?"

Oh yeah...

I had no idea why she had to leave.

I thought something in my poem offended or something.

"Mmm, yeah. I do remember. Did something like that happen to her as well or...?"

Monika took a moment to answer me.

"Yeah... She told me that something about your poem triggered some weird memories in her. I got no idea what it is or why it happened to her, either. But I think it's the same deal with Natsuki too."

She then eyed me.

"I know you haven't cheated on me, but I have to say they are acting pretty suspicious to me."

I shrugged at this.

"Yeah... Whatever goes on in their memories is... well up to them to share. If they want to hide it from us for whatever reason, then that's on their right to do so."

Hmm...

I really wonder what the memories are that make them isolate themselves from us...

And from the looks of it...

It's because of me.

But what did I even do...?

I don't think I ever dated them before, right?

...

...

...

Wait, did I... hook up with them in parallel universes?

And then all the memories start to clash with each other because of that?

It's a bit of a stretch, but it's the only explanation that'll ease my mind.

Once I came up with a conclusion to whatever that phenomenon was, I went back to reading the final entry.

Monika was surprised by how confused I was when we argued and began to speculate about what happened.

Also, it seemed that Monika was a little jealous that she wasn't able to speak Russian.

Jeez, I knew Sweetheart is a pretty jealous girl in general, but seeing her write about it is just another level in general...

Still, it makes me happy that she was still in love with me, even if she "hated" me.

When she wrote about what happened the day before she left, particularly how turned on she was when I tickled and stared at her panties, I looked up to her.

Monika was ready to answer questions I had about the entry.

"Pervert." I simply teased.

...

"Ehhh?! What do you mean, pervert?!"

I grinned and showed her the part where she described how turned on she was.

"You were feeling 'hot,' huh? Even before you mellowed out, you were still a pervert."

She flared up and rubbed her arm sheepishly.

"I mean... you knew how much I was in love with you... Those were one of my weird plans to get you to notice me..."

Hmm, to be fair...

I think it worked a little.

But then again, this was a bullet dodged.

Given how our hormones were when we went to middle school, I would not be surprised if it escalated quickly.

"Take pride in it. Those weird plans of yours worked weirdly enough." I remarked, now going back to the entry.

I was already near the end of the entry, which showed how suspicious she was about how the day went, especially since she saw how confused I was.

And so, I closed the journal and handed it back to her.

Once I did, Sweetheart looked anxious.

"So... What did you think about this?" She asked, almost jumbling over words. "You don't hate me or anything, do you?"

I recoiled from her words.

"What? Of course not! Don't be ridiculous, Sweetheart. Like said before, people's views change with time. And I understand the pain you went through... all the hate... but I can't but notice that this isn't the whole story... The first entry of the journal seemed to be picking up on where it left off. By the way, I'm glad that you showed me this. Now I got a better understanding of what happened on that day."

I know exactly what's next.

It's her diary that I need to read now...

After we had our first time, I deduced that the diary she had was filled with happier memories than the journal that I read right now.

She put away the black journal and handed me the diary I was looking for.

Bingo.

"Is this what you were talking about, Darling?"

I nodded and put my hand on the side of it, ready to open it.

"Um... Darling? Can I say something?"

I looked up to her and motioned her to go ahead.

She took a deep breath and gave me a bright smile.

"Thanks for not hating me... I knew you wouldn't change your mind on how you feel about me, but... I'm still glad that you still love me even after how much I hated you before."

The way Sweetheart was looking at me, made my heart soar.

"Argh! You're too cute, sometimes! Come here!"

I pulled her in for a surprise kiss.

But to my surprise, she was entirely ready for it and pushed me down onto the bed.

OK...

I think I regret my hasty action now...

Her hands trailed my bicep as we kissed, her seductive touch starting to turn me on.

But I had to keep steady.

After all, I had to read her diary now.

Given how much Monika wanted this, the only way to get her off was to tickle her.

And so, I curled my fingers and trailed it down her sides, causing her to pull away and laugh.

"Ahahahaa! Heeey! Stoppppp! Stop!"

I was able to breathe once she finally got off.

"Gah! Jeez! I know you are in the mood for it, but still! To think, a kiss can get you to escalate things so quickly!"

She bit her finger and kept her seductive gaze at me.

"It's not my fault that you're eye candy... And I said that I was frustrated, didn't I? Hurry up and finish reading the diary, will you?! I really, really crave you right now!"

I couldn't help but cringe a little from how she was behaving.

"Yeah... I'll get to it."

Once I opened her diary, I was greeted with impeccable handwriting, which was nothing like her journal had to offer.

As I read through the diary, I saw how Sweetheart started to fall for me.

Each entry documented the strange feelings in her heart, which she realized it was... love that she felt.

That reminds me...

Was I feeling the love when we were younger?

The only time I knew of those strange feelings when I was younger.

It was when she came to my house to visit after we played in the park for weeks.

...

Man, I remember what happened on that day.

But I know that I dismissed those weird feelings and thought Monika was the sister I never had...

To think I was in love with her at the time.

I continued to read the diary, and I came up to the part where she mentioned that she fell in love with me.

This was apparently in Christmas, or our first Christmas together.

But...

There isn't a lot of information on what happened here.

"Hey, Mon... What happened in our first Christmas together?" I asked, now looking up to her.

She pondered it for a bit before flaring up.

"Ehehe... Christmas, huh? Well, that's when I fell in love with you, silly. You were extra romantic on that day, and that's when I knew I loved you..."

Wait.

I was romantic at a young age?

...

Uh...

Why does that not come as a surprise to me?

It's like I did this to other girls before...

But I never did.

"Is that so? Then, why isn't there a lot of information about it? Did you forget to write it in your diary or something?" I asked.

She simply shook her head.

"No... It's not that. I felt that I didn't need to, and I figured it would be best that I kept it to myself... I had a feeling that I was going to tell you anyway, and I didn't want a book to explain why I fell for you." Sweetheart answered.

...

Whaaat?

She planned to tell me about how she fell in love with me?

In any case, I want to hear this story from Monika.

"Alright, then... Tell me everything that happened at Christmas then. I want to hear about this!"

Sweetheart giggled from my enthusiasm.

"If you say so!"

* * *

I'm so excited!

Today was a special day.

Today was the day where Val and I would spend our first Christmas together.

It was Chrismas Eve, after all.

Whenever I see him, my heart goes Doki-Doki!

It's more or less because of my crush on him...

But I think it's more than that.

I don't know what it really is, but...

Maybe I'll find out about later.

We were all going to the Christmas Festival in town with Val's family.

Papa was finally able to get a day off from his work and wanted to spend the special day with his family.

I was in my room, bored out of my mind, patiently waiting for the time we go to Val's home and go straight to the festival.

I almost want to jump over the balcony and play with him, but I want to make the time we go to the festival worth it...

And he isn't even there.

My eyes glanced at the balcony and into his room.

He wasn't there, since he was most likely out shopping with his parents for last-minute supplies.

I sighed and watched the snowfall dainty onto the ground.

It is gonna be a white Christmas, but it looks like it might snow a lot later...

We won't be able to go to the festival at this rate...

And that would... suck!

Hehe... Val is right, using that word gives me a small tingle in my mouth, even if I didn't say it aloud.

I sighed heavily and rested my head on my pillow, bored out of my mind.

My mom knocked on the door and entered my room.

"Monnie? Are you here? Oh, there you are. Supper's ready."

I only gave her a grunt.

"Mm."

But instead of leaving, she walked up to my bed and sat down.

"Is there something wrong?" My mom worriedly asked.

I only stared out the balcony door in response.

She saw where I was staring out and smirked.

"Oh, I see. You were seeing if your **boyfriend** was home, right?" She teased.

That shook me out of my depressed state.

"W-W-What?! No! I-I was only looking at the snowfall!" I stuttered.

My mom's gaze tightened, obviously not buying it.

"Mhm... We're gonna get ready soon, so once you're done with supper, we can get dressed. The festival might start and end early today."

I was mentally relieved that my mom didn't press with her teasing.

But I still had a burning question in my heart.

Maybe Mama knows about what this feeling is...

Right?

"Oh, before you go... I have a question."

She turned around and looked at me, expectantly.

I don't think I want to reveal who it is...

Involved in this question.

So I'll leave Val's question out of this.

"Um... so..." I mumbled, unsure of how to go with this.

What's the word again if they are speaking in "what if"?

Theocracy?

Theodore?

"Theodeo, if this girl likes this boy a lot..." I managed to say without stumbling on my words.

"Theoretically? My, my... To think my little girl uses big words like that." My mom corrected, smiling at me. "And what's this about a girl liking this boy?"

I warmed from her smile.

"Y-Yeah! Theoretically! What if this girl likes this boy a lot, but it doesn't feel like... like a crush anymore. Like the girl's heart starts beating faster and is always so much happier around him... Ah~! He is so nice to that girl and plays with her every day and..." I trailed on, dreamily pondering on my feelings for him.

I didn't realize I was going off on a tangent.

So my mom put her hand on my shoulder to return me back to.

She was trying to hold in something but took a deep breath to stifle it.

"I get it, Monika. This girl... really likes that boy a lot, right?"

Yes...

I do.

I really like Val a lot...

But I don't know if I really like him.

My heart doesn't feel the same compared to how it was a few months ago...

This weird feeling in my heart...

It feels so intense whenever I am around him.

And it scares me a little too...

My mom nodded slowly from my words.

"I see... The face you're making tells me a lot. So do you feel a little overwhelmed by that feeling in your heart?"

I flared up from her mistaken identity.

"N-No! It's not me! It's that girl! Not me!" I frantically reassured. "And yes! That girl gets a little scared by it whenever it happens!"

She laughed from my cover-up and waved her hand.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. My mistake. Is there anything else I should know?"

I tapped my chin in thought.

"Oh! That's right! That girl didn't feel that way before. She said that it used to be... pretty timid. Not as big as it is now."

It really does feel it has taken over my heart...

For some reason, my mom laughed again, which prompted me to pout.

"Ahaha... Sorry! It's just... that you're- sorry! The girl sounds really cute. I never thought she would feel that way for a boy so early on..." She explained. "What the girl is feeling isn't just some ordinary crush. It's much deeper than that. It's called love, Monika."

I widened my eyes from this.

L-Love?

Is that what this feeling is?

I feel love for him?

No, that can't be right!

...

Right?

My mom patted my head as I pondered from her words.

"Don't worry too much, Monnie. It may or may not be love. I went through the same process before when I fell in love with your father. It may be... different for that girl you're talking about."

I thought hard about my feelings and what they possibly could mean.

She stopped patting my head and walked towards the door.

"OK, Monika. Come downstairs whenever you're ready for supper. We'll get ready once you're done eating."

That woke me up, so I walked with her.

"Let's eat right now! I need to talk with Val!" I exclaimed, running out the door.

Before I left my mom in the dust, I saw her trying to not grin at me.

I wasn't sure why at the time, so I didn't really care.

Once I was done eating supper, we got ready and went to Val's house.

The snow by then has picked up slightly, but it wasn't enough for the festival to get canceled.

My dad was still coming back from work and was due to arrive soon.

We were all waiting for him to get home so we can go to the festival right after.

Val was already home by the time we arrived and was, as usual, happy to see me.

"Yes! You came!" My crush greeted, giving me a huge hug.

The feeling in my heart came back in full blast, but I managed to fight it off.

And so, I hugged him back.

"Hi, Val! I'm really excited about today, you know that? I know we are going to have soooo much fun at the festival!" I greeted back.

He took my hand and pulled me towards the TV.

"I know, right?! Come on! I want to show you something!"

Val then pressed a button on the remote on hand, which caused the colors on the TV to pop.

On TV was an American show that I didn't recognize.

"This is one of my favorite shows from back home! And this is a Christmas special too! We can watch it together!" He buzzed excitedly.

I focused on what the show was, but I couldn't make out what the show was.

"Sounds good! Oh! Is it about Romance or-"

He scoffed at me.

"Romance? Naaah! It's about this group of friends saving Christmas because Santa was sick! But along the way, some of the elves try to stop them from saving Christmas! It's a classic American Christmas special!"

I rolled my eyes at how he shot down my question and the overall cliche plot.

"Sounds very interesting..." I sarcastically muttered.

But as usual, Val didn't pick up on this at the slightest.

"It really, really is! I think you'll like the Special!"

Even though the show sounds a little boring, any time spent with Val is time well spent.

So I don't mind...

It's gonna be cute for him to react to the show!

"I hope so. After all, it is one of your favorite shows, so it has to be good." I commented.

He pumped his fist and nodded.

"Yeah! It is good! Trust me!"

He hit play on the remote and let the movie play.

And so we watched the show.

The snow had been piling up as we watched, and before long, it turned to a full-blown storm.

Once I looked outside, I knew what that meant.

I frowned by the turn of events.

The festival is going to get canceled, isn't it?

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Val with a worried look.

"Hey, are you OK?"

The feeling in my heart came back once more.

It was because of how he cared about my wellbeing.

I shook my head and continued to peer out the window.

He hugged me, which amplified the feeling in my heart.

It was because of how he wanted me to be happy.

"Cheer up, Monika. Do you want to play in my room?" Val caringly asked.

I only managed a weak nod as he took my hand.

We then went upstairs to his room.

I really wanted to have our first festival together...

But it looks like the snow had other plans.

I glared out Val's balcony window, cursing the snow for ruining one of the things I was looking forward to.

He saw this and gave me a small smile.

"Hey, even if the festival gets canceled, your dad will make it home, right?"

Oh...

Oh yeah!

I cheered up once I realized that.

"You're right! Maybe this Christmas isn't ruined yet! I can't wait for Papa to get home!" I exclaimed.

Without giving him much of a warning, I crushed Val in a hug.

"You're the best, Val!"

He only chuckled in response.

"T-Thanks!"

The feeling in my heart soared as I continued to hug him.

I pulled away, and we played for a little bit.

We played the imagination game we loved and role-played for a bit.

Val and I decided to make the theme wintery.

This continued on for a little while before there was a lull in the game.

* * *

I couldn't help but smile from Monika's recounting of the memory.

"Ah, I remember now... We played that weird imagination game a lot when we were kids... Jeez, now that I think about it, put a lot of effort into the lore and whatnot. Or at least you did. I didn't care about the lore, all I was interested in was fighting. Hehe." I remarked, feeling nostalgic.

Sweetheart shook her head in mock disgust.

"Boys liked you always wanted to fight. You would hate it when I told you we had to do those diplomacy missions..."

I covered my lips to stop myself from smiling.

"Yeah, yeah... Anyway, don't let me keep you. Keep going, you're getting my memory jogging."

She nodded and went back to reminiscing.

* * *

I looked outside the window and realized it has gotten dark outside.

...

Papa was supposed to come home before it got dark...

What's taking him so long?

The snow outside was starting to escalate into a blizzard, which was something I feared.

If there is a blizzard...

Then-

"Hmm... That definitely doesn't look good." Val muttered to himself as he looked outside. "It looks like a (Nor'easter)... But here? We aren't back in New York or anything..."

It's just as I thought...

It is a blizzard.

Papa won't be coming home today...

I frowned at this and started to look to the floor.

Why...?

Why is the weather doing this today?

It looked like it was going to snow a little bit...

But I didn't think it will turn out like this.

I want a white Christmas, but I don't want it to separate me from Papa...

My eyes started to burn.

He's been working so hard, and he wants to see Mama and me again.

Today was supposed to be the day where he is happy to see us...

And I want him back home...

The door opened, and out came my mom.

"Monika?" My mom called.

I rubbed the tears away and looked up to her.

She knew what I was feeling and frowned as well.

"I'm sorry, sweetie... Papa is not going to be able to make it in time. His flight got delayed because of the snow."

The desperate feeling in my heart twisted and turned.

And it hurt me.

I only nodded slowly and looked down at the floor again.

...

It's not fair...

Why did I do deserve this?

"Don't worry... Papa is going to early tomorrow, OK?"

I felt on a hand on my shoulder once again, but it wasn't my mother's.

It was Val's.

"Don't worry, Keiko! I know what to do!"

My mom gave Val a smile and left me to him.

Once she was, I felt his warm hand on my head.

Whenever he patted my head, I always felt at ease.

It always made me happy too.

"Come on, Monika! Let's go downstairs!"

He pulled my hand and dragged me out of his room.

My heart hurt as we took a couple of steps out.

Val noticed that my pace has slowed down immensely and turned to me.

"Monika?" He called.

At that very moment, I rubbed my eyes.

The tears that I was holding in finally rushed out.

I tried to stop the floodgates from coming, but every attempt was futile.

As much I didn't want to cry, my body rejected my pleas to stop.

It's not fair...

All I want is to have the perfect Christmas with my family...

And I want to show how much I love Christmas...

I felt something warm envelop around me.

I knew who it was right away.

The person who was hugging was none other than Val...

And so, I cried into his arms.

I cried out the pain in my heart as I held me.

Little did I know, this was one of the reasons why I loved him so much.

I hiccuped and mewled for a while, and he didn't complain one bit.

The warm feeling in my heart started to heal my aching heart piece by piece.

He patted my head once again, which much calmed me down.

And before I knew it, we were sitting down in front of the Christmas tree.

At this point, I felt the feeling surging within me as I stared at the awestruck Val.

...

I...

I think I love him.

My mom was right.

This isn't just a crush.

It is something more.

He turned to me and smiled.

I smiled back.

Even though he probably doesn't realize that I love him, I'm OK with that.

Right now, I'm glad that I realized that.

I took his hand and squeezed it.

He looked down, obviously confused.

Val didn't understand the gesture, so he squeezed back.

The feeling in my heart, instead of being unknown and intimidating, it finally revealed itself.

Now, I wasn't worried about what it is.

Now, it filled my heart with love.

There was a mistletoe hanging right above us, with devious giggling behind us.

Perfect timing, Mike!

I wasn't going for a kiss on the lips, but I went for the next best thing instead.

"Mm... chu."

Val widened his eyes at this and blushed.

He didn't expect the kiss at all.

He frantically looked to my eyes for answers.

But I didn't give any.

"Merry Christmas, Val." I simply said.

He rubbed his cheek and looked away with an embarrassed frown.

"M-Merry Christmas, Mon..."

* * *

.

"So... That's how you fell for me?" Darling asked. "I really didn't realize that hugging you and letting you cry... would have such an effect on you..."

I smiled at this.

"It's not only that one time... You kept doing that over and over again. A girl's heart like mine loved that so much." I retorted.

He playfully rolled his eyes.

"Heh, if you say so. I'm glad you realized your feelings. But I kinda can't say the same for me. I realized my love for you only a few months ago, ridiculous, right?"

There was no denying ridiculous it seemed.

But I was committed to having him as my boyfriend and future husband.

Once he took my heart, it was up to him to do what he wants.

And he wanted to give me his in return.

"Yeah... it is a little weird that I waited for you for so long. Lots of people would've given up after a few months, but I refused to give up. I always hoped that you would eventually turn around." I reassured.

He hugged and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thanks, Sweetheart. I know it was really taxing to wait on an idiot like me. I can only hope I can make it up to you."

My smile turned devilish.

"Oh? One way you can make it up to me is by telling me one of your secrets in return..."

That caused him to tense up.

"Ah, yeah... Right. I don't really have a lot of secrets, since I don't like to keep any..." He answered.

I knew that he was lying.

Seriously, Gill?

Maybe I should scare him a bit...

Hmm...

Ahah!

I got just the thing!

Thanks to some of my... "possessive" genes, I can pull off the perfect yandere!

...

...

...

I know it isn't something to be proud of, but...

It's useful, I guess.

"Darling? You know better not to lie to your girlfriend, right? So why are you doing that? Why are you lying to me?" I creepily asked.

His eyes widened as I advanced towards him.

"Uh... I don't like where this is going..."

But I kept crawling to him.

"You're hiding something from me... Why would you do that? Why would you hide something from me? You love me, right? And if you did love me, then you wouldn't lie to me..."

Gill was starting to panic from my behavior but quickly regained his composure by smirking.

"Hehe... Nice try, Mon. I know exactly what you're doing. You're trying to pull off a yandere shtick, huh? I gotta say, your eyes really do look the part."

...

"Eeeehhhh?! H-How... What?! I thought it would work! How are you shrugging this off?!" I whined.

He snickered at me but tried to keep his laughter from leaking.

"Pff...! Oh, man! That was so worth the gamble! Hahaha! I had a hunch you were trying to do something like that! Nice try!" He gloated.

As he laughed, I puffed my cheeks out.

"Not fair! You're... You're... You're a jerk!"

He was amused by that.

"Oho! I haven't that nickname in a while, to think you would blurt that out..."

I couldn't contain my frustration on how quickly the tables have turned.

And so, I weakly slammed my fists onto his chest, which only made him chuckle in response.

"Alright! Alright! Heh... I'll tell a secret that I kept hidden recently. Do you want to hear it?"

My eyes sparkled, and I stopped my attack on his chest.

"Ooooh! Ooooh! Tell me! Tell me!" I excitedly buzzed.

He shook his head and patted my head.

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you."

* * *

It was a slightly warm day.

That was an understatement.

It was a rather sweltering day.

And today, I had to supervise the gym class for the girls in this heat.

Obviously, a lot of girls were uneasy about letting a guy supervise, so I got some protests.

Fortunately, Mr. Bisenberg was there to clear things up and reassured that I am to be trusted.

Even when he told them that I wouldn't do anything questionable, they still didn't trust me.

It was by sheer luck that the girl's gym teacher advocated for me as well.

But I do have to say, the way she vouched for me was a little strange...

"Mr. Jones here is a good guy. He knows better than not to look when he isn't supposed to look. But I wouldn't mind, ya know~? All he is going to do is make sure that everyone gets outside. So please, get ready!"

...

Yeah, that made me very uncomfortable.

I saw Monika on the verge of grappling onto her neck, only to be subtly restrained by her friends.

So far, there have been no complaints, which were something I didn't expect.

But I should still be ready to handle another "Natsuki incident."

I crossed my arms and leaned back against the tree and surveyed for anyone in trouble.

Well, I'm supposed to be barking at people to get moving, but given how hot it is today, I don't blame them.

As I watched the area, a classmate walked up to me.

My eyes focused on her.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

Hmm...

Maybe this is my first complaint.

She put her hand on her hip, telling me she had a competitive streak.

"You're good at volleyball, right?"

...

What?

"I suppose I am relatively average," I answered modestly. "Why?"

She smirked.

"You're lying. I've seen you play with your teammates. The way you play isn't average."

...

Uh...

Why was she watching me?

And what the point of asking me this?

"Maybe so. What are you getting at?"

She pointed to the volleyball field that was set up near the tracks.

"Since you're a guy, maybe you can go against the Ainu girls by yourself. We got a bet going, so go!"

Without warning, she dragged me across the tracks and to the field.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What are you doing?!" I yelled.

She only responded by pushing me to the field.

"Salvato! Your challenger is here!"

I looked around and saw that I was going against Monika, Natsuki, Yuri, and Sayori.

Wait...

So I am going to be running solo on this?!

Monika smirked at me.

"Well, well... Look who finally came. Are you ready to get destroyed, Jones?" She taunted.

Her friends backed her up with some trash talk.

On the other hand, I was confused as to what was going on.

"Time out! What is even going on?! Am I going up against you guys by myself?!"

Sayori nodded.

"Yep! This was a bet made by the gym class! It's revenge!" She cheered.

...

This isn't really anything to be cheery about, Sayori.

"What's wrong? You can't take on four girls, huh?!" Natsuki teased.

I looked to Yuri, who I hoped to be the most rational out of the bunch.

But she too was looking competitive.

"It seems like you're afraid... Maybe you should quit."

I deadpanned from all this.

"Tch...! This is ridiculous! How am I going to even play? I need another person!"

The girls giggled at my misfortune.

"Well, boo hoo! You're gonna have to work by yourself!" A girl ridiculed.

Hmm...

What am I going to do?

Before I can brood on what to do, I saw a familiar face walk up to the field.

"Yo, Boss! Let's teach these girls a lesson!"

I only blinked at what was going on.

"H-Hiro? What are you even doing here? You're not supposed to be here!" I exclaimed.

He waved his hand at me.

"Don't worry about it, Boss. Bisenberg's cool with this." Hiro reassured.

Uh...

That's convenient, I guess.

I saw Hill-Top in the corner of my eye, and Dan hiding behind some bleachers, intent on not being seen.

"Dude!" I whispered. "Why are they here with you?!"

He only smirked in response.

"Don't worry, Boss. It's OK! Extra backup, yeah!"

Obviously, the girls were unhappy about this.

"Hey! He got a teammate! That's not fair!" A girl complained.

"Yeah! Get him off!" Another girl followed up.

But Monika cracked her knuckles to this.

"This doesn't change a thing. A four versus two? We have double the people, so that means double productivity!" She stated.

Uh, I don't think that's how it works all the time...

I shrugged at this and got ready.

"Well, whatever. Let's get this over with, you ready Hiro?"

He took a couple of jumps in the air to warm his legs up.

And as usual, his jumps were what I considered to be "hops."

"Yeah! Let's do this!"

* * *

**Meanwhile, back at the Jones household!**

Since it was a half-day, Haru decided she wanted to come over my home.

I wasn't sure why but I needn't question her.

She's... really been getting pushy lately.

And it's getting incredibly difficult to say no to her.

What a pain...

We were now in my room, and she was scrolling through her phone while I decided to some homework.

"Hey, Mike." She called. "Besides doing homework all day, there has to be something you do for fun... Like do you text any girls or something~?"

I put my pencil down and looked to her, still lying on my bed as if she owns it.

"I play video games if that's what you're asking in my free time, but I like to learn about all sorts of sciences. As for me, texting girls... I guess I do."

For some reason, once I said the last sentence, I sensed an ominous aura coming from the girl.

Haru looked up to me with dead eyes and stared into mine.

"What did you say?"

...

Why do I get the feeling I'm in danger?

"I meant, I text my classmates about studies and homework, those classmates are girls." I elaborated, feeling a little uneasy.

In an instant, her creepy demeanor vanished.

"Oh! Why didn't you say so, dummy? Ufufu!" She giggled. "I thought you were getting a little too close to them for my comfort."

What does that mean?

I shook my head out of it.

"Yeah, we were discussing the placeaboo effect. But she had no idea what that was. I thought she was the smartest student in my class, but I guess I was wrong."

Haru eyed me.

"Placeaboo? What's a placeaboo effect?" She asked, a little perplexed.

I rolled my eyes at this.

"Not you too... Argh, it's an effect where nothing is being used but is still just as effective as the real thing. You know, it is a psychological effect?" I explained.

Haru shook her head at this.

"I never thought it would come to this... you dummy." She muttered. "You mean, the **placebo** effect?"

...

...

...

Oh.

I only stared at Haru as she smirked back.

The room was utterly silent.

...

Wow.

I messed up badly.

"(Have I...)" I uttered. "(Have I dishonored you?)"

Her smirk grew more prominent.

"Ehehe! You know English is my worst subject. Now come over here for some kisses!"

Wait, what?!

She lunged at me.

Noooooooooo!

* * *

We were crushing Monika's team, as expected.

They were all trying to keep up with our speed and strength on hitting the ball back.

Despite us going a little easy on them, forgoing our usual spiking routine, they still couldn't get an edge over us.

"Come on, get serious already! I thought you guys are gonna give me and Boss a challenge!" Hiro taunted.

This got the girls' ire, especially Natsuki's.

"Why don't you come here! I'll give you a challenge!" She roared, causing us to mockingly recoil in fear.

Fortunately, Monika managed to calm her down.

"Argh...! Time out! I got a plan!"

In an instant, the girls formed a circle and started whispering.

To respond to this, I brought Hiro into this, and we began discussing a plan.

"It looks like they're planning something. I don't know what, so let's give it everything we got." I ordered.

He nodded.

"You got it, Boss. Are we going to starting spiking and passing the ball to each other?"

I smirked at the plan.

"Hell yeah. Knowing Monika, she is probably going to be planning something to distract you or me. They just don't have the skills to go against us." I stated, now eying the girls.

Yeah...

She is definitely going to distract me...

But what is she even planning?

I patted my friend's shoulder. We got a little further away from each other, getting ready to start spiking aggressively.

"We should be good! Let's get this over with! I'm exhausted from this heat!" I hollered to Hiro, wiping the sweat off my brow.

Hiro was starting to get tired since he expended a lot of his energy from making flashy plays with his hops.

The girls' were now done and turned to us, with Monika stepping forward.

"Before we start... We need Tom to replace Hiro for a bit. It looks like he's about to give out." She stated.

I turned to Hiro, and he shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good! Boss and I can keep going! Come on, serve!"

Monika's got the point...

I can tell Hiro's getting more and more tired.

...

Damn, I might as well go through with it.

"Dude, she's got the point. You're about to keel over. Remember the last time we played volleyball right after the school year ended? You were sore and tired for a good three days. Take a break, please."

Hiro worriedly looked into my eyes but sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

"Alright, I'll switch out. Watch out for any surprises, Val."

I nodded as he moved towards the bleachers, where both my friends were seated.

He went up to Hill-Top and pointed to the court, so he jogged up to my side.

"(Brooklyn, what's going on? Is Hiro OK?)" He asked in English.

I took a glimpse and saw he was downing a sports drink that Dan gave him.

"(He should be. The guy was about to pull his muscles or something. You know, like a year ago...)" I replied in English. "(Hey, why are we talking in English, anyway?)"

Hill-Top shrugged at this.

"(So they can't really listen in and... because Dan was practicing his English with me. Not exactly sure why, but he said he might need it later. I'm guessing for an interview for a job or something.)"

Hmm, fair enough.

"Are you two done yet?! Get ready to lose!" Monika called.

I put my hand up to stop her.

"Give us a little more time. We are still planning!" I said, motioning Hill-Top to get closer.

Unfortunately, the literature club didn't see that way and served the ball.

So, I jumped and took the ball.

"Hey! You can't do that!" I heard one of them say before I turned to him.

Hill-Top stifled his laughter at this and waited on me.

"(OK. Hiro and I were about to do the spiking procedure, you know the drill. Stop the ball, pass it to me, pass it back, and spike it in front of them. The steps can be done for any of us, clean and simple.)"

He cracked his neck and rolled it around.

"Gotcha! Let's do this!"

We both nodded and passed the ball to them.

Once we did, they rotated, allowing Sayori and Monika to take the front end. In contrast, Natsuki and Yuri took the rear.

They're switching it up...

But what are they doing?

Yuri caught the ball and subsequently served it to us.

"(Let's see what they are planning! I'll take it!)" I said, hitting the ball back.

That was when I saw a sudden shift in Monika's expression.

Instead of a serious and focused expression on the ball, she smirked and brushed a lock behind her hair while looking right at me.

What...?

"(Brooklyn! Heads up!)"

I shook my head out of it and hit the ball back.

"(Right! Sorry!)"

I kept my eyes on the ball, and it was hit back.

It was heading towards Hill-Top, but it looked like he was distracted.

Shit!

"Tom!" I called, but he didn't react in time.

The ball hit the ground.

"Score! Good work, Yuri!" Natsuki cheered.

"Thank you!"

I glanced at my friend as he shook his head.

"What happened?" I asked.

He frowned and shot a look at the other side of the court, to which I followed.

Sayori was grinning, and Monika was trying to stifle her laughter.

"(My girlfriend was lewd...)" He meekly answered.

...

Argh!

I knew it!

This is why Monika wanted to switch out Hiro!

He was tired, and she took advantage of that by getting Hill-Top here!

Damn!

If Sayori's gonna be doing that, then I have to watch out for Monika.

No doubt she is gonna pull the same thing off, somehow...

We tossed the ball back to them, and they got ready to serve it again.

As they were about to serve, I kept a steady gaze at Monika, despite my better judgment.

I was too curious as to what she going to do.

She knew I was staring at her.

I can't... Look away for some reason...

Now that I'm looking at her... She's awfully sweaty.

It's sticking her to clothes, and it's exposing her curvaceous body.

Wait!

This is precisely the sort of thing I have to avoid!

She jumped up and hit the ball, adding some extra force.

I saw her white t-shirt shifting upwards, which exposed some of her skin to me.

What?!

The ball was over at our side, and so I had to follow the protocol.

I passed the ball over to Hill-Top, we jumped and passed it back, allowing me to spike the ball down on their court, with no hope of them retaliating.

"Yes!" We both cheered.

But instead of groaning over the loss, everyone looked to Monika, to which she nodded back.

That's not good...

Something is definitely up.

Why did seeing her bare skin do to me?

I served the ball over to them, but they again slowed the ball to hit it back.

My eyes wandered to Monika against my wishes, and I saw she was readjusting her bloomers in front of me.

She turned to me with a smirk and pulled them slightly, trailing her finger against them.

The bit of skin exposed for just that second was enough to get my heart pumping uncontrollably.

...

Not again...!

All I can think about is how sweaty she is and-

Whoa...

Get it together!

"Val!"

The ball was on our side, but I managed to shake out of it.

Argh!

Not this time!

Hill-Top managed to pass it to me, slowing it down.

I passed it back to Hill-Top, a little late, but he was able to spike the ball.

As soon as he hit the ball down, my phone buzzed, meaning the period was over.

I pulled it out and turned off the alarm.

"Alright, we have to start heading back now. Good game."

The girls were obviously a little unhappy with this but went back inside.

I gave a Hill-Top a fistbump as he left with Sayori.

Monika then came up to me with a devious grin.

"So... How'd you like it?"

I frowned and looked away.

"Like what...?" I responded, aloofly.

She responded by hugging my arm, her chest melting into my arm.

My heart started to beat uncontrollably as I felt her slightly damp t-shirt and her arousing scent.

The scent was similar to how a room would smell whenever we got intimate.

And because of that, I felt myself harden slightly.

Shit...!

This is definitely not good!

"Oh, I think your little friend down there knows exactly what I'm talking about..." She teased.

Argh!

Damn this green-eyed vixen!

* * *

"So wait... This is your secret? You... You really liked how I looked in my bloomers? I thought it would be something more... you know, a little more sinister." Monika remarked, a little surprised.

I frowned at this.

"Hey, look... I-I really couldn't hold it in... I was actually turned on. You were pretty damn hot when you were in them." I admitted while looking away.

In the corner of my eye, she went to the door and opened it.

"I'll be right back... I got something you might like~!" She winked before leaving her room.

Something I like...?

Wait, is she really going to come back wearing the same gym bloomers?!

I... I don't know if I can control myself, especially since it reminds me of what happened a few days ago...

As I tried to keep myself together, the door opened.

My eyes immediately focused on whoever opened the door.

I knew who exactly it was.

No...

No way...

Monika was wearing her bloomers while wearing a devilish smile.

In an instant, the phantom fragrance of her sweat came back.

"What's wrong, Darling? You're looking awfully perverted right now..."

I clenched my hands and grit my teeth.

"O-Of course I would! Argh! I-I can't hold it in!"

I was pushed to my breaking point when she walked up to me, pushed me down, and sat directly above my ever hardening crotch.

"How about now?" She teasingly asked.

...

I never would have thought...

Me...

Losing my self-control more and more...

I blame Monika...

It's not my fault; she is so... arousing.

"That's it! We are doing this now!"

Those were the words Sweetheart was waiting for.

She unzipped my zipper, letting myself free.

"Oh... I didn't expect you to be so turned on by this... Is this a fetish of yours?"

I shrugged at this.

"Not quite... I just remembered how great you smelled when... you were sweaty... That's why it's so hard." I explained.

She licked her lips and moved up slightly.

"Mm... Is that so? That's a pretty perverted line of thought, Darling..." She whispered. "But I love it when you get this turned on by me."

My patience was started to wane, so I took advantage.

I pulled her red bloomer to the side, which revealed her exposed womanhood.

She started off by rubbing me against her labia.

I knew she was turned on, especially since I was coated by her juices.

Sweetheart aligns me with herself and slowly lowered herself onto it.

Little by little, I was able to slide into her.

"Haah...! Finally... Sweet, sweet release!"

Sweetheart continued to lower her waist.

After a little bit, I was finally inside her completely.

I felt her wrap herself perfectly around me, as it was shaped to fit me.

Even though this feels amazing...

I need more.

"Monika."

She gave me a simple nod, pushing her hands on me and moving her hips.

I was usually the one to be on top, because of that, the movements were a little slower than I liked.

"Haah... Haah... How is this, Darling? Do you like it?"

Still...

It's nothing to complain about.

"Yeah, I do... What about you, Sweetheart?"

She smiled happily.

"I-I like it! It feels excellent when... when... your cock rubs against me... haah... aah..."

I felt her warm slightly when she said that dirty word.

Oh?

Does she like saying words like that?

My girlfriend was slowly getting the hang of it, as she started to increase the pace of her movements.

Her ordinarily fair skin was dyed a deep crimson.

I saw beads of sweat starting to glisten all over her body.

Because of this, her scent started to grow more prominent, which spoke to my primitive desires.

"Aaah... W-Wow! You're getting bigger...!" She remarked.

The scent invaded my nostrils, causing me to lose more self-control.

And so, I pushed her hips down against me, causing her arch her back.

"Aaah! Ngh...! W-What was that for you... jerk...?"

I gritted my teeth.

"I'm a little underwhelmed, Sweetheart. Pick up the pace a little."

She gave me a competitive look and sped up the grinding movements of her hips.

Again and again, I felt myself traveling from her hot depths and to her quivering entrance.

Sweetheart was whimpering, pushing the hand on my abdomen, and lifting herself up a little.

I knew what she was doing.

She thinks that she would get away with this.

If I keep hitting her there, then she would come before me.

Even though I felt great inside of her, I felt a little off not getting the whole experience.

Whenever I hit her up **there** , I get that pleasant squeeze at the end of each thrust.

And...

I think I want that from her.

Because of this, I gripped her hips again and started to thrust up into her.

Her eyes rolled back from this.

"Hyaaaa! Hey! S-Stop! That's not fairrr! You can't do that! Aaah...! Aaaah!"

I smirked at how I caught her.

"Sweetheart, I think you forgot that I like making things fair. This is one of them. I want you to feel good too. After all... I love you."

Her vaginal walls tightened once I said that, causing her to whine.

"Uuuuuh! You... You jerk! You can't just say that...! Aaaah! Fwaaah! Ah!" She tried to protest as her body writhed in pleasure.

I gritted my teeth at this.

"Grgh...! Yeah, I know it isn't fair...! But it's how I really feel about you."

Her walls tightened again, causing me to hiss.

"Aaah, aaaaah! Haaah...! You really like to fight dirty, don't you... jerk! Ah! Uugh...!"

Every time I penetrate her depths, Sweetheart's face contorts in pleasure.

Her walls contracted slightly, always clamping around me.

I started to speed up my movements, and I watched my girlfriend's reactions rather carefully.

The sound of me entering and exiting filled the room.

"Uuuh! Aaaah! S-Since you... Haah! Since you aren't going to play fair! Then... Then I will adapt! Watch me, Darling!"

As soon as she declared war, she leaned forward, pressing her hands against me and swaying her hips.

That caused her to grit her teeth as well.

My upwards and falling motions combined with Sweetheart's back-and-forth movements culminated in creating an intense sense of pleasure for both of us.

"Anfh, mmm! Aaaah! T-This feels amazing! Don't you feel the same too, Darling?!"

I can only nod in response.

Every time Monika's body moved up and down, her chest jiggled slightly.

I pulled her t-shirt off slightly, which gave her the signal to raise it up along with her bra, letting her voluptuous breasts free.

The swaying movement of her chest hypnotized me, arousing me, which caused me to speed my movements.

"Hyaaaah! Aaaah! AAAH! Y-Your cock... It's going so deep inside me...! Aaahn!"

Her insides trembled each time I press up against her depths.

And because of that, I decided to focus my efforts on hitting it there.

"Nh...! S-Stop! No! You can't hit me there...! It's not fair! Aaah! I'm really sensitive there..."

I smirked at this.

"Yeah, I know. It's cute seeing you react when I hit you there. After all, we have been... Gyah!"

All of a sudden, Monika's vaginal walls clamp down on me even tighter.

Her moist walls entwine themselves around me completely.

In that instant that I was teasing her for just a second, Sweetheart reacted by violently grinding her hips against me.

"Argh! You...!"

Her motions were a lot smaller and quicker. Despite this cost, she was a lot more efficient and precise, therefore intensifying the pleasure greatly.

Along with my grip on my hips, I was continually hitting her g-spot as a result.

"Aaah! Fwaaah! S-Stop going in so deep! I don't t-think I can hold it in for much longer!"

Despite her complaints, she doesn't stop moving her own hips, continuing to aggressively ride me.

It didn't take long for her to orgasm, drenching me in her juices.

I was still throbbing and ready to go, despite this.

"Not yet..." I muttered.

The sweat and her scent were all I can smell right now.

It took control of me, causing me to suddenly get up and grab her.

"Wrap your hands together behind my back and keep yourself as close. Got it?" I asked.

As expected, she was a little confused but gave me the go-ahead to get up.

"O-OK... Like this?"

Perfect...

"Yeah, just like that. Be a little careful... I'm still pretty sensitive..."

Slipping my arms under my girlfriend's knees, I reach around and grasp her soft, fair bosom with both hands and then rise to my feet, carrying her up with me.

"Waaah!"

I took the cue to hoist her up and insert my head in her once more.

When I loosened my grip and let her fall, Monika's body weight drove her back down onto me.

"Aah! Ah... gh...! Aaah!"

She squeezed her eyes shut from the slight pain of the first thrust.

"This should hurt in a few seconds. Watch me."

I pulled Monika up and then drop her back down.

"Nngh! Aaah!"

Every time she drops, I felt her body shudder violently against me.

"T-This is amazing, D-Darling! I feel like I'm yours! And only yours!"

Her soft gasp tickled my ear, her breath hot enough to burn.

"Is that so? Then I will make things a little rougher then."

I picked up the pace, hauling Monika into the air faster and faster without lessening each thrust's power.

Her eyes widened and rolled back from the sudden shock of pleasure.

"Ngggh! AAAH! I-I can't! Hyaaah! AAAAAH!"

Sweetheart was writhing in my arms, trying to catch her breath as I mercilessly slide her up and down.

"This... This is for playing dirty back when we played! This is payback!"

Saliva was starting to leak out of the girl's mouth.

"N-No...! S-Stop! I'm sorry! I-I-I didn't mean to...! AAAAH! You're breaking me! Uuuuh!"

The liquid flowed out of my girlfriend's womanhood, dripping down my shaft every time I lifted her into the air.

Her pleasantly lewd scent override my sense of rationale and control.

I felt her starting to get used to my punishing thrusts more and more while suspended in my arms.

"Good... Time to kick things up a notch!"

She reacted accordingly.

"Wait, what?! Hyaaah!"

I started to thrust myself into her, working in conjunction with the gravity.

She wrapped her legs against my hips as a result.

Her eyes were looking hazy because of this.

I know you can make a very lewd face.

And so, I started to move up and down, left and right, to expand the tight hold I was exploring.

Her body spasmed uncontrollably from this.

"S-Stop it...! You're stirring me up, and I'm... I'm..." She breathlessly mumbled.

I took this as my cue to stir myself around all the more vigorously.

She was desperate for air, causing her to messily stick her tongue out.

I alternated my body's movements, shifting my position here and there, as I pumped myself into her.

Her pants grew more and more high-pitched and frantic as a result, I found myself moving at breakneck speeds, her frenzied moans giving the fuel to shatter my limits.

"AAAAH! AAAH! I CAN'T! EYAAAH!"

I vigorously swung Monika back and forth on top of me.

She was unable to anything except swaying weakly in my arms.

Her eyes were utterly hazy, unable to process what was going anymore.

Sweetheart was still trying to take in any air she can too.

Because of how mind-broken she looked, it caused me to throb uncontrollably.

I knew it was coming soon.

"Grgh...! I... I can't hold it in! Monika, I love you!"

She managed to say it back.

"I... I love you too, ehehe..."

Just hearing her dazed voice sends sparks down my spine.

Ecstasy surged throughout my body as a result.

"Kh! Here it comes!"

Sweetheart dug her nails against the back of my neck, but I found it pleasurable despite the expected pain.

I dedicated my remaining strength into one last rush, hauling her up and down along my cock with intense action.

This broke out of her dazed state, causing her to lose it.

"Nnnh! HYAAAAH! AAAH! AAAAAAH! DARLING! AAAAAH!"

Our rough breathing merged together into a chorus of passion.

"Hah... hah... hah...! Almost there...!"

Her walls twitched and clamped down onto me.

"I-I can't hold on! Darling! I-I'm coming!"

From there, I felt her fingernails break into the skin of my neck.

I felt something explode in the back of my head.

My vision was all white as I finally released my payload into her.

It was my first ejaculation, but it felt like it took almost all out of my system.

The warmth caused her to release her second orgasm.

She stretched outwards, rolling her eyes back.

My body shook with pleasure, causing me to fall onto the bed, exhausted.

I felt the white liquid instantly overflow her womb, trickling down my pulsing member.

My testes kept releasing shot after shot, despite this.

It didn't help that Monika's walls were sucking it all up as well.

I looked down to see she was still completely lost in passion.

Her body twitched as my seed starting flowing out.

So...

This is what happens if we don't have sex in... two weeks?

Wow...

I didn't think I had that much stored in me...

And my stamina was incredible too...

We laid in bed for a little bit before I felt Sweetheart stirring.

"Ugh... my head... It feels so hazy... What happened?" She asked.

And wow...

To think I quite literally fucked her brains out.

"Well, we're still connected, so I'll let you decide."

Monika stared at me for a little bit before realizing what I said.

"Oh! Right! Hehe...! You see, Darling? Didn't that feel amazing?!" She buzzed, snuggling her head against my chest.

I grinned at her cute behavior as she did.

"Yeah, I guess it did... But I am exhausted. I never thought I want to sleep right now. How about you?"

I didn't really get a response back.

Instead, she rolled her head on my chest.

"Uuh... Yeah, me too. I didn't expect my body hit me back with this..."

I chuckled at this.

"Haha! Alright, let's take a nap then."

I pulled the blanket over me and hugged her close.

She stirred a little and sighed.

"Goodnight, Darling... I love you."

I smiled at this.

"Yeah... Goodnight Sweetheart. I love you too."

And with that, we drifted to our dreams.

* * *

I stretched upwards, feeling exhausted from the long day I had.

Right now, I was sitting down in my house's backyard patio, watching my daughter play with her little brother.

It was a sight that made me smile, no matter how tired I was.

Man...

It has been... twenty years, huh?

Twenty years since Monika and I got together...

To think she "hated" me when she came back...

And to think she would devote her life to be with me...

Obviously, I never hated her, I found it impossible for me to that.

And I vowed to be with her for the rest of my life too.

With age, I started to get these strange flashbacks.

The flashbacks were about how I raised a family with Monika's two friends, Yuri and Natsuki.

It was until very recently that they have stopped appearing randomly.

Now, it would only appear if I thought about it or something significant has been brought up.

At first, I was terrified of them and unsure how to deal with it.

But now... They serve as a reminder that I'm happy.

Happy that I made a choice to be with Monika.

To think...

I would have been with those two instead.

For example, Natsuki and I had a daughter.

And then for Yuri, we had twin daughters.

Strangely enough, I think my other me's daughters all look quite similar to their mothers.

Weird, since it's the same for my daughter to.

I don't know the specifics on how I got involved with them, but I knew it was because I had to help them out with something...

Jeez, so many possibilities.

That is something I can't deny, given how surreal these memories feel.

But I can't tell if I'm happy or not in those flashbacks.

That's about as far as I can get to understand them.

But I know... I know that the two other girls are happy.

They were happy to be with me...

And happy to have a family.

So I think it's safe to say that I was happy with them too.

But that doesn't mean I'm unhappy with my life.

Quite the contrary, in fact.

I am pleased with my life right now...

My thoughts drifted to my family.

Heh.

I never thought raising a family would be this difficult...

Now, I realize how much our parents had to maintain their jobs, love life, and their family... All at the same time.

To think my parents were able to juggle my brother and me...

It was easy to say that I was sort of a brat when I was younger.

And I did get pretty jealous of my parents doting on my younger brother.

But fortunately, this didn't seem to be the case for my daughter.

She played with her younger brother whenever she had the chance and loves him so much.

I glanced over to my little girl, who was playing peek-a-boo with his brother.

She even promised to protect him from everything, no matter what.

The same promise I held for my younger brother.

Not soon after, my wife finally came to join us in the backyard.

"You're looking happy." She remarked as she sat next to me.

I smiled at her.

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be? Life's perfect. Nothing seems to be wrong right now. Work is going along great, our love for you keeps getting stronger, and my family looks to be growing... I'm a happy man, Sweetheart." I declared, still watching over my children.

She too watched our children.

"I'm very happy too, Darling. So happy that I can't even begin to understand... It makes you think about how the littlest of choices could create such a butterfly effect. Everything we did here is one separate universe... A different reality. Imagine what you would have done if you... If you decided to get closer to Yuri and Natsuki, instead... This life wouldn't exist. Our children wouldn't exist. And worst of all, we wouldn't be here together."

I melancholily sighed at this.

"Yeah, I know. If I had other me's and I'm sure they went for Yuri and Natsuki, maybe even Sayori, I'm sure I would have been love with them. But I don't know if I would be as happy as I am right now. Or even if they would be happy to be with me. That is their business. At the end of the day, Sweetheart... it doesn't matter to us. Because... don't forget that I chose you and fell in love with only you."

I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

She responded by kissing me instead.

"Mm... I know. I'm glad that you chose me. I don't know if my other selves would ever let go of you. If I know me, I would definitely still be in love with you, even if you were with someone else. That's how much I love you."

The sun was setting, with the world starting to mellow into a bright purple.

"Heh, I got the feeling you would say that. All the deja vu I have been getting tells me you would never let go of me, no matter what. You considered me to be your lover and soulmate, huh?"

Monika smirked slyly.

"Yeah, I did. That's why I never showed any interest in anyone except you."

We both watched as the sun started to fade into the darkness.

"Good thing it's not one-sided, because..."

I held her hand as night drew.

"Monika, I love you."

She held my hand and squeezed.

"I love you too..."

* * *

"Argh..."

My head...

It feels like it has hammered in or something...

I opened my eyes to see a white void surrounding me, with small bits geometry here and there.

Where am I?

Why does this place look familiar...?

"Uh... Sweetheart?" I heard a familiar voice ask. "Any idea where we are?"

Wait...

He sounds just like me!

"No, I don't, Darling... I don't like this." Another familiar voice answered.

M-Monika?!

The two figures I have heard appeared in thin air, confused about what was going on.

"Mama... I'm scared..." A little girl asked, holding her Monika's hand.

The girl was looked almost like Monika.

"It's OK, Princess. Don't worry." She assured.

The man who appeared was holding a male infant that looked remarkably similar to Monika as well.

Wait...

They look a lot older than I first realized...

Does that mean they came from the future?

The man finally saw me.

"Ah! Excuse me!" He called, walking up to me.

But once he did, he was taken aback.

We stared at each other, baffled at what was going on.

That's me...?

That's how I look when I get older?

"What even is this?" Another voice asked, sounding similar to the man in front of me. "Cupcake, stay close to me."

And he... sounds just like me too!

"You don't have to tell me twice... Dear, this is weird..." The look-a-alike Natsuki commented.

I was able to recognize the two people that materialized in front of us.

The man was holding a little girl's hand.

The girl looked very similar to Natsuki.

"Papa... who's that?" She pointed at us.

It didn't take long for them to approach us.

As they approached, I noticed that Natsuki had longer hair and was much more curvaceous than I knew back home.

This other me is a lot stockier than him and me...

"Do you guys have... What the...?!"

We all shared the same confusion too.

"Hmm, I think... I have seen this place before." Yet another voice asked, sounding like us. "Honey, are you doing OK?"

This was probably the largest group that materialized.

"I'm fine, Beloved. Are you two fine?" The look-a-alike Yuri questioned.

She was talking to two younger girls, which looked to be twins.

"Yeah! No problems here!"

"Yes, I am."

It was clear that the two had contrasting personalities.

For some reason, they weren't as baffled as we were when they approached.

"So... This is what those feelings were trying to tell me..." He started to say.

"Yes, it makes sense now..." Yuri added.

The man who was with Monika cleared his throat.

"Uh, look... We have no idea what's going on. Can you guys tell us?" He asked.

The other confused me followed up on this.

"Yeah! Where are we?"

The calm me put his hand up.

"Settle down, will you? Don't you all see? We are all from different timelines." He sagely answered. "We all Val, and we all share different pasts. But I don't know why we are all here now."

Timelines...?

So they are all from different realities?!

"First, let us introduce ourselves using new aliases. I'm an executive worker in my father-in-law's company, so call me, Executive."

The stockier me stepped in.

"I'm... Well, I'm a baker with my wife here. We run a bakery and are looking to expand later on. So call me, Baker."

Now it was the other me's turn to step in.

"I'm well... My wife and I run a company, but I am more of a family man... So call me, Father."

They all now turned to me.

I had no idea what to say.

"Uh... I don't have anything noteworthy to talk about. I know all of you guys... Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri. I've been going to school with them for a year now, but nothing special has come up between us..." I explained.

After all, I met them all a year ago...

The Executive stroked his chin.

"Mm. I see, so I take it you didn't know either of them as your childhood friend, no?"

I shook my head.

"No... I met them all a year ago if that makes sense..."

The three me's traded looks with each other.

Father smiled at me and turned to his wife.

"Well, in my case, Monika was my only childhood friend. We fell in love around our third year of high school."

Baker was able to pick on this.

"Ah, I get it now. The same applies to me too. Monika was my childhood friend too, but I met Natsuki first. We fell in love at the same time as you guys did."

Monika stepped in.

"Wait... how did you know him first? Did he go to our country much earlier or something?"

The Executive smiled at this, something I didn't expect from his serious nature.

"I suppose we did. The same applies to me, as well. Monika was my childhood friend. However, I met Yuri first. My father was here earlier because he needed to sort out some matters before moving from the United States. I take the same happened to you, Baker?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, I think our dads were Police veterans, right? He came here to take down a gunrunning business with my wife's father."

The Executive nodded at this.

"I see, my dad already had gotten a desk job at the point. So that's the start of our divergence."

They all then turned to me.

I took the turn to speak.

"Uh... my dad was a police veteran too. But other than that, I don't know much about it."

Natsuki frowned a little as she thought.

"Hold up. So, Father, did you meet any of us? And Executive, did you met me when we were kids?" She asked.

The two in question shook their heads.

"I'm sure I only met Sweetheart here. I don't remember meeting you or Yuri when I was a kid." Father replied.

"Likewise, I met Yuri first, then Monika. I don't recall meeting you at all, sadly." The Executive added.

So if that's the case, then they were all childhood friends with Monika...

Yuri stepped in.

"This begs the question... Why us? Don't you all think it's too much of a coincidence that our lover is the same?" She confidently asked.

Huh...

This version of Yuri is a lot bolder than the one back home.

They all put their minds together on this one, but couldn't come with an answer.

"I guess we are all connected somehow. Connected to you." Father said to me.

Connected to me?

How?

"Maybe you don't remember your past... That happened to us." Baker added.

I don't...

Remember?

"That's what happened to us. Maybe it will happen to you. Something may happen that will change your perspective in life." The Executive finished.

I noticed the white void was starting flicker.

"I-I think we're running out of time... something's about to happen."

The three me's looked to each other and nodded.

"We have a feeling that something might happen to you."

"You might not have a choice."

"Maybe your true love takes form in not one, nor two, but three..."

The world faded to black with those words.

* * *

And so I woke up.

My body was drenched with sweat.

...

What the hell...?

What was that?

I tried to think back on the dream I had, but to avail.

My mind couldn't fix an image together.

Instead, I had hints of memories of playing with Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri.

What...?

How do I remember them?

They looked a lot younger and...

Wait!

So that's what they told me?!

I looked outside to see three girls waiting outside, all of them holding rocks.

They noticed I was up and threw them towards me, pelting my window.

Jeez!

Again with this?!

I got dressed, got my bag, and left my house.

"Took you long enough!" The pinkette barked.

I sighed.

"Sorry, Nat..."

The brunette crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Seriously, we were waiting for you. Let's get going already! Come on!" Monika pulled.

We started walking with Yuri unexpectedly, pushing from behind.

"Wha-?! Y-Yuri, you too?"

She only giggled in response.

"Indeed! This is actually fun!" She cheered, surprising me.

As they pulled, I saw a flicker of them.

They were all much younger.

No...

They... They were my childhood friends?

So that's what they meant with I didn't have a choice...

I smiled at this.

Things will be a lot more interesting.

And I am ready for what lies ahead!


	20. Grammatical notes (need to talk to Enigma)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOT apart of the story.This chapter focuses on the grammatical I found while porting this story from FF.net

Chapter 1 Amethyst (Yuri)

With a deep breath and a small psyche up, I gave it my all to make to the main road in time.

Possible Correction: it to 

_I try to get to talk to me, but she is a pain. _

Possible Correction: tried to get her to talk to me

Before I realized, I let out a laugh.

Possible Correction: realized it 

At first, I had expected it to take no more than 10 minutes tops, but this room was so unbelievably dirty that it had taken 20 minutes of non-stop ~~of~~ sweeping, mopping, dusting, and scrubbing to get it to look decent finally.

Possible Correction: Just remove of 

The girl closed her eyes, and cutely kept her face away from my level.

Possible Correction: Just eyes, no comma

_Yeah, I saw ~~at~~ her going to the bathroom, but after that... _

Possible Correction: Remove at

Yuri sat down in an empty desk and watched me as I worked.

Possible Correction: l´m pretty sure you sit **in** a desk, not at one.

The only reason I was able to realize how long I had taken was that I used my phone to exchange numbers from her.

Possible Correction: You exchange numbers **with** people, not from people. (I think)

_Wait, what ~~to~~ do I care? _

_Possible Correction: Remove to_

_Chapter 2_ Afternoon (Yuri)

_The guy laughed wholeheartedly from her cute antics.  
_

_Possible Correction: Replace with at. Makes it more clear_

_Hey, what's wrong me all of a sudden...? _

_Possible Correction: with me_

_My younger brother isn't idiot, he can open the door and heat up some food._

_Possible Correction: isn't an idiot_

"I live like, right next to you Val, I was going to walk with you anyway." I jokingly said, hoping to lighten mood a little.

_Possible Correction: lighten the mood_

_Chapter 3_ Confidence(Yuri)

_Showing up to the clubroom while the verge of sleeping is unacceptable.  
_

_Possible Correction: while on the_

_I shoved the poem to her hands, not caring about what she thought about it.  
_

_Possible Correction: onto_

_Chapter 4_ Nostalgia(Yuri)

_There's no point of thinking about my painful past..._

_Possible Correction: in_

_When I see him tomorrow, I will make sure apologize for my behavior.  
_

_Possible Correction: sure to apologize_

_The ideas of thinking how great he was made me feel elated.  
_

_Possible Correction: idea_

_Unfortunately, I couldn't her all that well from the distance and yelled back._

_Possible Correction: hear_

_When I walked into class, I noticed that Sayori and Tom's bag were gone, and the only people in the class were the two girls and me.  
_

_Possible Correction: bags_

_I smiled back at him, impressed how he was able to read my mind, or rather my facial expressions._

_Possible Correction: impressed by how_

_In the off chance, I looked up to see Sayori._

_Possible Correction: On_

_I could have easily sidestepped the man, but there something off those black eyes of his.  
_

_Possible Correction: there was_ _something_

_"You're welcome, Yuri. And also… could you call me by my middle name, Gilliot? Hearing you say say Valkyrie is a bit weird, don't you think?"  
_

_Possible Correction: say_

_"Uh, well… I don't know if my brother is even home right now. For all I know, he might be sitting in the balcony, bored out of his mind." I answered, slowly as each word pained Yuri.  
_

_Possible Correction: on_

_I glimpsed to Yuri to see her staring at me with meek eyes._

__Possible Correction: on_ _

__The nostalgia, however, wasn't enough for me to be distracted on what happened earlier.  
_ _

__Possible Correction: by_ _

__As much I don't want to say anything and be neutral about, Yuri is attractive.  
_ _

__Possible Correction: about it_ _

__I stopped and thought hard from the question.  
_ _

__Possible Correction: about that_ _

__"Yuri, look… at the end of the day… I yelled at you. And I don't think I can forgive myself from doing that. I couldn't stop myself from yelling at you, but when I realized what I was doing, it was too late."  
_ _

__Possible Correction: for_ _

__Yuri's looks a lot like she did back in the club._ _

__Possible Correction: Yuri_ _

__I knew better however, that this was everything she could muster for few seconds.  
_ _

__Possible Correction: for a few_ _

__I was met with something that me gasp.  
_ _

__Possible Correction: that made me_ _

__Everything from her body gave out this strange aura that ~~I~~ makes my senses go haywire.  
_ _

__Possible correction: made_ _

__I was speaking ~~to~~ Russian to him._ _

__Possible correction: remove to_ _

__Chapter 5_ _

__Haru's eyes flickered as I said all this, showing the same resemblance her sister's crazed state._ _

__Possible correction: resemblance to her_ _

Chapter 9

¨I remember the day where had to leave¨

Possible correction: where Val had


End file.
